Get Busy Living
by bluecurls
Summary: COMPLETE The war is over, but Hermione, Remus and Sirius have yet to find peace. They're friends, housemates, but it's not enough for the two wizards. But before they can claim their witch, they are going to claim their piece of happiness. NOTE: This story was previously published, then accidentally deleted. In this repost, all 29 chapters are in one document.


Note: This is a repost of a story published in September. All the chapters are in one document.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Chapter 1<strong>

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><p><strong>AN: I own nothing. Rating is M for later in the storyline.**

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><p>She was curled up in the worn armchair, a blanket pulled around her shoulders and a book, long since forgotten, in her lap. A fire crackled in the fireplace, the orange glow giving off more light than heat on the cold January night. Hermione Granger shivered in her sleep, pulling the blanket tighter around her small frame, but she didn't wake – a small miracle the man watching from the doorway was thankful for.<p>

Remus Lupin understood sleepless nights. He's had his share in his lifetime; never-ending nights in which memories wouldn't let him escape into dreams or nightmares forced his eyes open. But in the years since the war ended and wizarding world worked to put the pieces back together, a sense of contentment surrounded the werewolf. He wouldn't go so far to call it peace – he had seen too much violence and caused too much violence to ever be at peace with himself – but he had reached a point in his life where simple pleasures like a hot meal and a good book were enough for him.

He knew Hermione had yet to find any sense of tranquility. Oh, she acted like she was happy, leaving for work every morning, her bag filled with parchment and textbooks, testaments to her never-ending quest for knowledge. She rarely missed a Sunday dinner at the Weasley house and regularly spent time with her dearest friends: Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. But there were moments, snippets of time when Remus would look at Hermione and catch a glimmer of sadness in her eyes. No, not sadness – disorientation, like she was lost and didn't know how to find her way home. It wouldn't last long. She'd shake herself out of it and smile, her full lips turning upward but her eyes not having that sparkle he remembered noticing the first time he met her. A sparkle that grew duller as she and her friends prepared for war, losing friends, losing loved ones, losing their innocence.

"Moony! I thought we were going to – "

"Shh!" Remus turned away from his sentry, silencing his best friend, Sirius Black. Pointing her Hermione's still form, he gestured for Sirius to meet him in the kitchen, closing the door to the study with barely a sound.

In the kitchen, Sirius reached into the cupboard for a bottle of firewhiskey and two glasses, taking a seat at the large oak table, pouring a drink for himself and his friend. Pushing the glass across the scarred wood, he lifted his in a silent toast and drowned the alcohol in a single swallow. Pouring a second shot, he left the glass on the table as he leaned back in his chair and studied his friend, his gray eyes unblinking as Remus swallowed his drink. "How long has she been out?" he asked.

"An hour? Maybe two?" Remus replied. "She went in there after dinner."

"Did she eat anything?"

"Not enough."

The two men sighed, their thoughts on the petite brunette. Remus and Sirius were happy when Harry accepted their offer to move in to 12 Grimmauld Place after the war ended. Hermione chose to return to Hogwarts for her last year of school, but took residence in the Black Family Home during breaks and vacations. When her education ended and she secured a job at the Ministry of Magic in one of their many research departments, the men in her life convinced her to stay at Grimmauld Place. Essentially orphaned since she made the brave decision to erase herself from her parents' memories for their own protection, no one wanted Hermione to live alone. Arthur and Molly Weasley offered their home, too, but Hermione wanted quiet - something she'd ever get at the Burrow.

Now that Harry had moved out, though, and into an apartment with Ginny Weasley, Hermione wondered if the time had come for her to do the same. She mentioned getting a place of her own last week, but Sirius laughed it off, telling Hermione her gold was better spent on clothes and travels and the endless collection of books that spilled out of her bedroom. She'd exhausted the shelves he cleared for her in the study and had taken to piling tomes in one of the many empty rooms on the second floor.

"You don't want a know-it-all bookworm crowding your home, Sirius," she had said.

"Tough sell, love," he replied. "I already live with Remus."

The matter was dropped for the moment, but both men knew Hermione wouldn't forget it. She never forgot anything – except for the girl she used to be.

Sirius picked up his glass and downed the second shot, nodding his ascent when Remus held up the bottle with a questioning look. Watching his friend pour the alcohol, he wished briefly for something stronger. Years of drowning his pain in firewhiskey meant a few drinks had little effect on him. Like Remus, he had experienced so much horror in his life – betrayal by a friend, the deaths of James and Lily Potter, 12 years in Azkaban for a murder he didn't commit – that no longer having to look over his shoulder wasn't nearly as comforting as he expected. Yes, his name had been cleared and yes, he had people he cared about and who cared about him, but something was missing. "We're quite the trio, aren't we, Remus?" he asked with a bitter laugh.

Remus looked up, a surprised look on his face. "What do you mean?"

"You. Me. Hermione. Three broken people under one roof. It's pathetic."

"I'm not broken," a quiet voice said in the doorway. Both men looked over to see Hermione standing there, her curly hair mussed from sleep, the blanket hanging from her shoulders. Shuffling into the kitchen, she took a glass from the cupboard and poured herself a glass of whiskey, drowning it as quickly as Sirius had moments before.

"Careful, sweetheart - " Remus started, but stopped when she set down the glass without blinking.

"Where did you learn to drink like that?" Sirius asked.

"Fred and George," she replied, reaching for the bottle, glaring at Remus when he moved it out of her reach. "They've perfected the art of drinking games."

Her face softened as she thought of the red-haired pranksters, older brothers of Ron and a bright light in her life that never dulled. Sirius swallowed the taste of jealousy that rose whenever Hermione spoke of the twins. He loved Fred and George, he often thought of them as the reincarnates of himself and James, but he hated that they were the only ones who could make Hermione smile. Really smile.

"They should know better than to make you drink with them," Sirius muttered.

"Like you're one to talk," Hermione's laugh was hollow. "I'm pretty sure this bottle was full when I saw it earlier."

"I'm of age, love."

"I am, too."

"Kids," Remus reprimanded, but not with force. Breaking up arguments between the animagus and the young witch was second nature to him, their stubborn personalities clashing often over the smallest of matters. Two days ago it was an argument about a cereal box that hadn't been properly closed, allowing the sugary puffed wheat to go stale.

Remus still didn't want to admit he was the one that forgot to seal the flaps.

"Sorry, Remus," the pair muttered, their voices echoing off each other.

Silence descended among the three, the occasional gust of wind the only sound in the large kitchen.

"Right," Sirius pushed back his chair and stood up. "No more moping."

Two questioning pairs of eyes – one green, the other hazel – looked up at him.

"We're going out."

"Sirius, I don't want - "

"It's so cold out - "

"Don't care. We've been wandering around here like ghosts since Harry moved out. It was easy to pretend everything was OK when he was here because Merlin knows that boy has earned a peaceful life but damn it, we have, too. And tonight, starting now, we're going to get it."

"Peace?" Hermione asked.

"A life," Sirius stated with confidence.

"That's a tall order for 10 p.m. on a Saturday night," Remus remarked.

"Again – don't care," Sirius said. "I can't live like this anymore, feeling guilty for living when so many others are gone. I can't stand watching you two do the same. We deserve better. We are going to make ourselves happy!"

"Do you want us to leave the room while you do that?" Remus asked, a smirk on his face. It was a smirk Sirius missed seeing so much, he almost didn't mind it was at his expense.

"Bite me," he told his friend, circling Hermione's chair and pulling it away from the table. Grabbing her hands, he pulled her to her feet, the blanket sliding off her shoulders. "Come on, love. March upstairs, get changed, and meet us back here in 30 minutes."

"Sirius," she practically whined.

"No backtalk. We're leaving in 30 minutes. If you want to show up at The Leaky Cauldron wearing a tank top and sushi-covered pajama bottoms, that's your prerogative, but we are leaving this house." Turning to Remus, he gestured for him to stand up, too. "The same goes for you, old man. Find something less hole-y than … well, find something."

Remus pushed himself to his feet. "I'm four months younger than you."

"I'm better looking. Let's go!"

Knowing it was useless to fight, the pair went upstairs, their enthusiasm for the night's change of plans growing as they shucked lounging around-the-house apparel for actual clothing. Hermione slipped on a long-sleeved red dress that managed to keep her warm and show off her curves at the same time. Pairing them with a pair of heeled dragon-skinned boots, she braided her thick curls, huffing impatiently when a few refused to be tamed, twisting stubbornly around her face. Using her wand to perform a glamour, she was downstairs and waiting before either man exited his bedroom.

"You look lovely," Remus said, walking down the staircase. He had changed into khaki trousers and a hunter green button-down shirt, beat-up leather boots on his feet. The clothing was by no means new, but they suited the battle-scarred werewolf. Watching him push his shaggy brown hair off of his forehead, Hermione admired his clean-shaven face, unable to stop herself from touching the smooth skin.

"What?" Remus asked, as she rubbed one small hand against his cheek, a gesture that nearly froze him on the spot.

"I'm not used to seeing you without a little bit of scruff," she said, pulling her hand back in embarrassment.

"He cleans up nicely, doesn't he?" Sirius asked, bounding down the stairs with enthusiasm, his dark hair still wet from the shower. He had shaken off the melancholy feelings that plagued him earlier – OK, plagued him often – and was determined to show his friends a good time. Tucking his wand into his charcoal-colored jeans, he pulled a worn black leather jacket over his black T-shirt. Grabbing Hermione's dress cloak, he settled it over her shoulders and held out an arm.

"Are we ready?" he asked.

Remus and Hermione nodded, took Sirius' arm and the three disappeared with a resounding crack.

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Chapter 2<strong>

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><p><strong>AN: Still own nothing.**

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><p>Hermione sipped her wine, her eyes on Sirius who was standing at the bar, his arms around the waist of a woman who had grabbed him within moments of entering The Leaky Cauldron.<p>

"It looks like his night is improving," she said to Remus, who was sitting in the chair next to hers, a mug of coffee in front of him. Remus rarely indulged in alcohol, for fear a drop in his inhibitions would allow parts of his personality to shine through that he rather leave hidden. The firewhiskey he shared with Sirius earlier was enough for one night.

Glancing at the bar, he smiled slightly and turned toward Hermione. "That's Candressa. She was three years ahead of us at Hogwarts."

"Were she and Sirius friendly back then?"

"She wanted them to be, but her friends thought three years was too big of an age gap."

"Three years isn't that much of gap," Hermione said, taking another small sip of wine. She'd never admit it to Remus or Sirius, but she didn't have the best tolerance for alcohol. Yes, she drinks and when the Weasley twins decide to indulge in fun-loving games that involve as much alcohol as a stomach can handle, she's all in, but pays for it the next day. Still, a headache is a small price for a few hours of oblivion.

"When he was 14 and she was 17, it was," Remus said, no longer watching the couple. His eyes were steady on Hermione's face.

"Well, now she's 40-something and Sirius is 40 -"

"We're not 40," Remus interrupted.

"— the difference doesn't matter. Really, age is just a number."

"So, if an older man was to ask you out …"

"She'd say yes because I'm so devastatingly handsome!" a boisterous voice shouted moments before a sloppy kiss was placed on Hermione's right cheek. Giggling, she pushed herself away from Fred Weasley; a move that made it easier for George to mirror his brother's greeting on Hermione's left side.

"How ya doin', Remus?" Fred asked, pulling a chair over and plopping down at the table, pushing himself between his former professor and Hermione. George stayed standing, one hand on Hermione's shoulder, as he signaled the waitress to indicate drinks for him and his brother.

"Another wine, love?"

"No, thank you."

"What'll you have, Remus?"

Remus looked down at his coffee, his earlier decision to leave the alcohol alone for the rest of the night making him sound old compared to the twins, who looked at him with expectant expressions on their faces.

"Whatever you're having," he replied.

"Great! Now it's a party!"

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><p>Two hours later, Remus lifted his glass in another toast. Sirius had rejoined the table shortly after the twins arrived, Candressa forgotten as he held court, retelling stories of the Marauders' adventures at Hogwarts, pitching their pranks and adventures against those the twins pulled off during their years at the school. Hermione stayed quiet during most of the storytelling, occasionally shaking her head or rolling her eyes. She jumped in a few times to correct Fred and George if they'd miss a slight detail, a move Sirius rewarded with a pat on her shoulder, as if he knew she couldn't have been the perfect Hogwarts student all the time.<p>

"I still wish we had seen what you looked like after that Polyjuice mishap," Fred said, leaving back in his chair, an arm swung around Hermione's shoulders.

"I don't think I've heard this one," Remus said.

"What!?" Fred sat forward with a bang. "It's a classic!"

"Fred -" Hermione began.

"It was 'Mione's second year, right?" He looked at his brother who nodded in confirmation. "OK, and the Chamber of Secrets had been opened and our favorite threesome was convinced Draco Malfoy was the heir of Slytherin."

The table collectively groaned upon the uttering a Malfoy's name, with each man taking a long pull of alcohol as if to get the taste out of their mouth.

"So, Granger decides to play spy, brewing Polyjuice to get her, Ron and Harry in the Slytherin common room," George said, continuing the story.

"You made a Polyjuice potion? A second year student?" Remus asked.

"She's brilliant, mate," Fred replied, nuzzling Hermione's neck, not noticing the narrowed eyes of the older men at the table.

"The story, Fred," Sirius said, bringing the tipsy twin back to the present. "What happened next?"

"Oh, so Ron and Harry transformed just fine, but our little Hermione. Well, things weren't as purr-fect for her," he finished with a snicker, drowning the rest of his whiskey.

George joined in, laughing so hard it wasn't long before his face matched his hair. Hermione buried her face in her arms on the table. Neither Sirius nor Remus could tell if she was laughing, too.

"Did you hurt yourself?" Remus asked.

"No," came her muffled reply.

"Did you get caught?" Sirius asked.

A cascade of curls as she shook her head was the only response.

The two friends looked at the breathless twins and the embarrassed witch in confusion.

"Someone is going to have to fill in the blanks for us," Remus said.

Fred opened his mouth to speak, but started laughing again. Hermione sat up and punched him in the shoulder, but he was too far gone to care. George wasn't much better.

"Hermione?" Remus asked.

Sighing, she pushed aside her glass of water and grabbed Remus' beer, taking a swallow, before answering. "I didn't have the right hair for the potion," she said.

"You didn't become a Slytherin?" Sirius asked.

She shook her head, avoiding his eyes as she took another sip.

"Who'd you become?"

"Not who, mate. What!" George shouted gleefully.

Sirius started blankly at Hermione, running the conversation through his head. Remembering Fred's emphasis on the word perfect, he smiled slowly. A quick glance at Remus, who was watching Hermione with a grin, told him he figured it out, too.

"You became a cat?"

Hermione nodded miserably.

Sirius burst out laughing, his loud guffaw making several people look up and turn their heads at the table in the corner. Remus had a better time controlling himself, but Hermione didn't miss his snort of amusement.

"It's not funny!" she cried.

"Oh yes it is!" Sirius responded. "Merlin, it's great knowing you're not purr-fect!"

With that sentence, all four men started laughing again. Hermione sat back in her chair, arms crossed defensively and waited for them to stop. Judging by the amount of empty glasses on the table, it was going to be awhile.

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: Chapter 3<strong>

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><p><strong>AN - As always, I own nothing except the crazy ideas in my head.**

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><p>"Oompf!"<p>

Hermione and Remus stumbled into each other, Sirius' lax body between them, after apparating home. Their night at The Leaky Cauldron lasted longer than any of them had planned on, but the laughter and conversation was too great to leave. Now, standing in the dark hallway of Grimmauld Place, both werewolf and witch could feel a sense of despair settle over their shoulders. Or perhaps that was Sirius, who had passed out seconds before.

Hermione shifted under the wizard's weight. "Where are we taking him?"

Giving a dubious look to the narrow staircase, Remus pointed to the study at the end of the hallway. "There. He can sleep it off on the couch."

Slowly, the threesome shuffled down the hall, making it to the study without incident. They were almost to the sofa when the heel of Hermione's left boot caught on the rug. She let go of Sirius to stop herself from falling at the exact moment Remus did the same, reaching Hermione before she crashed into the floor lamp.

"Bloody hell," Sirius muttered from the floor, his words muffled. Rolling to his back, he glared at seeing his two housemates in each other's arms. "You could have at least gotten me to the sofa first." Picking himself up, he stumbled to the couch, throwing himself on it, his back against the far armrest. Lacing his arms behind his head, he raised an eyebrow at Hermione and Remus, who had yet to separate. "This is better. As Remus could tell you, love, I don't mind watching, but I'd rather be in a comfortable spot first."

Rolling her eyes, Hermione untangled herself from Remus and bent down to remove her boots, smiling when she saw Remus smack Sirius on the side of his head on his way to the armchair. Unable to balance without fear of falling again, she perched on the arm of the sofa where Sirius reclined, exhaling a sigh of relief when she could wiggle her toes again. She loved these boots, a Christmas present from Charlie Weasley, but they were not made for prolonged wear.

"Are you OK, sweetheart?" Remus asked from his chair, his eyes concerned as he watched Hermione rub her left foot against her right calf, the movement revealing ivory skin under the long skirt.

"Heels had to be created by a man," she replied, bending over to rub some feeling back into her toes. "There's no way a woman would do this to her sisters."

"Come here," Sirius said, sitting up. Swinging his body to face forward, he patted his thighs invitingly.

Hermione shook her head and picked up her boots, making like she was going to leave. Ignoring that, Sirius stood and grabbed the boots out of her hands, tossing them across the room where they landed on the floor with a thud. Pulling Hermione back to the sofa, he pushed her down, her body parallel to the couch, and settled on the opposite end with her feet in his lap. Ignoring her struggle to free herself, he pressed his index fingers on the inside of each foot. "Would you stop – ah …" she sighed, almost melting into the couch as Sirius' continued to massage her tired feet.

"This is why man invented heels," he said. "They are a great excuse for us to play hero at the end of the day."

Hermione leaned her head back and closed her eyes. "OK."

"And they're sexy as hell," Remus added.

"True, my friend. Very, very true."

Hermione knew she should say something to derail the conversation before it went much further, but she couldn't remember the last time she was this relaxed. The fire Remus had started with the flick of his wand was part of it. So was the alcohol she had consumed over the past five hours. Sirius' careful rubbing of her feet, from heel to toes to ankle to slightly up her calf and back down again was another.

OK, that was a big part, but she'd never admit that.

The crackling sound of the fire was the only noise in the room as the threesome relaxed, each lost in their own thoughts. Sirius rubbed his knuckles against the arch in Hermione's feet, smiling when she arched her back in response. Catching Remus' eye, he shrugged innocently and repeated the gesture on her other foot, his smile growing as she reacted the same way.

"Did you have a good night, Hermione?" Remus asked.

"Of course," she responded, head back, eyes still closed. "It's hard not to when Fred and George are around."

Rolling his eyes, Sirius lifted Hermione's right leg to his shoulder and placed both hands on her calf, kneading until he felt her muscle relax. Her skirt drifted higher during the process, a result he was sure Remus enjoyed as much as he did, but now wasn't the time to ogle the young witch. Watching her face light up as she talked to the twins tonight, Sirius saw snippets of the girl she used to be, the witch who was brave and strong and didn't back down to anyone. Even when she was embarrassed, there was more life in her as she banged her head against the table in frustration than he had seen in months. Knowing he and Moony were almost as lost as Hermione, tonight showed him there was still hope that the three of them could laugh and live and perhaps, someday, love.

For now, though, he'd settle for laughter.

Switching legs, Sirius told himself to focus on that, not the beautiful woman who was slowly becoming putty in his hands.

"I was thinking -"

"Uh oh," Remus and Hermione said at the same time.

"Shut it," he replied, lightly smacking the side of Hermione's thigh. She jumped slightly, but didn't leave the couch. "As I was saying, I thought tonight was progress."

"Progress?" Remus asked, slouching further in his chair, stretching his long legs in front of him. It sounded like Sirius was ready to make a speech. He might as well be comfortable.

"Yes, progress. We got out of the house. We socialized. We laughed."

"Did we get a life?" Hermione asked, her words slurring slightly as she stifled a yawn.

"Not quite. The way I see it, we need to do this more."

"The drinking?" Remus asked.

"The jokes?" Hermione volunteered.

"The part where you pass out on the table?"

"I wouldn't mind seeing that again. It's always entertaining," Hermione giggled.

"If your back to being a smartass, your feet must feel better," Sirius said.

Hermione started to sit up, but he tightened his grip, shaking his head when she looked at him. Leaving her feet in his lap, he continued to caress them lightly as he talked.

"I meant doing more of, well, everything. Remus, you need to stop going on meandering walks just so you can avoid people. Hermione, you need to take that time off the office keeps owling you about. And I … well, I'm sure I need to do something."

"The dishes," Hermione said.

"The laundry," Remus added.

"We need to leave the house," Sirius said, ignoring their comments. "We need to see people. We need to be active. We need to be silly. We need to stop closing ourselves off from everything we fought so hard to save!"

Both Remus and Hermione studied Sirius, waiting for the punch line that never came. After a minute, Remus nodded his head.

"You're right. I had more fun tonight than I had since Harry left."

"I feel slightly insulted," Hermione replied, "but I agree."

"Great!" He stood up suddenly, Hermione's feet dropping to the floor. She twisted her body until she was curled up on one end of the couch, watching as Sirius paced back and forth in front of the fire. "So here's the plan," he began, ignoring Remus' groan. "The three of us will take turns choosing an activity we can do together, things that force us to break free of this self-imposed prison. I made us go out tonight, so Remus can go next."

"Why me?"

"Why him?"

"Because I said so."

"Is this an age thing?" Hermione asked with a smirk. "Oldest to youngest?"

She ducked quickly, the pillow Sirius threw at her grazing the top of her head.

"It's a maturity thing," he told her.

"Then shouldn't Hermione go first?" Remus asked, batting away the pillow that came zooming at his head.

"If the two of you are finished being children, are you in?"

They were quiet. On one hand, it sounded too simple, that a few outings could fix whatever was wrong with them; the depression, the nightmares, the fear that they were too far gone to save. But, and neither were ever say this out loud, Sirius had a point. Why fight the war if they weren't willing to enjoy the victory?

"OK," Hermione said.

"Sure," Remus agreed.

"All right," sitting on the coffee table in front of the couch, Sirius rested his hands on his knees and studied each of them in turn. "The rules. When it's your turn to choose what we do, the others have to do it, no matter what."

"But what if it's something we really don't like to do, like flying?" Hermione asked, knowing that would be the first thing Sirius would pick. He never understood Hermione's fear. For him, flying on a broom was the only time he truly felt free.

"We wouldn't make you -" Remus began.

"Excuse me! Yes, we would. That's the point, to get out this rut we've dug ourselves into."

"No flying," Hermione said stubbornly.

"Come on -"

"If she doesn't want to do it, Sirius, we won't make her," Remus said quietly.

"Fine. If she's not going to fly, I'm not going to do whatever girly thing she chooses, like knitting lessons."

"I wouldn't make you do that!"

"Ha!"

"How about a compromise? We each choose one thing we don't want to do and the others promise not to bring it up again," Remus proposed, waiting until the others nodded. "OK. I don't ever want to go to a nightclub."

Hermione looked over, surprised. She knew Remus often accompanied to Sirius to clubs when they were looking for a woman to pass some time with; she didn't know they weren't a place he liked. "Why?" She asked.

He shrugged.

"Fear, love," Sirius replied.

"They scare you?"

"No, they don't scare me," Remus replied, glaring at Sirius. "They just … they're too crowded, too noisy. I can't breathe. Give me a pub any day."

"Fair enough. I still say no flying."

Sirius heaved an impatient sigh. "Fine. I'm sticking with the no knitting lessons."

"Really?" Remus asked. "That's your veto?"

"I know this witch. She'd love to make me do something humiliating like that."

"If you really knew this witch, Sirius, you'd know she'll come up with something a lot worse than knitting."

Sirius studied Hermione, his eyes narrowing when she smiled innocently at him. He told himself the quick flutter in his stomach was anticipation, not fear.

"OK, boys. Hands in."

Remus and Sirius looked at Hermione and the hand she held out in confusion. She grabbed Sirius' left hand and Remus' right, laying them on top of hers. "One, two, three – break!"

She let go. Both men looked at her like she was crazy.

"It's a sports thing, a muggle sports thing," she explained.

"Oh," they said.

She grinned at them indulgently, a look they returned. Glancing at the Grandfather clock in the corner, Remus stood and stretched. "I'm going to bed. I suggest you two do the same. We're doing my thing in the morning."

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: Chapter 4<strong>

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><p><strong>AN - Characters aren't mine. If they were, Fred never would have died.**

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><p>"<em>We're running?!"<em>

Remus looked at the dismayed faces of the two people closest to him. Their nice, quiet breakfast – emphasis on the word quiet as all three made use of the hangover potion stashed in the kitchen cupboard and were waiting for it to kick in – was obviously over as witch and wizard exchanged horrified expressions.

"It's good for you," Remus told them.

"No, it's not," Sirius argued. "If we were meant to run, we wouldn't have trains and cars and brooms and airplanes and -"

"Point made, Padfoot," Remus said with a sigh. He looked at Hermione, who still looked like she had misheard her former professor's response. "Sweetheart?"

"I'm not athletic, Remus. The best thing about Hogwarts was no gym."

"I thought _I_ was the best thing about Hogwarts," he said with a wink.

She grinned. "OK, second best thing."

Sirius shook his head. This was way too much sappiness this early in the morning. If he was going to have to go outside and run, the conversation would have to change. "Why this, Moony?"

"I like it. Running clears the head, reduces stress … your endorphins kick in and you feel great."

"I had no idea you were a runner," Hermione said. "How have I lived with you for almost three years and not know this?"

Remus shrugged. "It's not like I advertise it or anything. I do it when I need it – SHUT UP, Sirius!"

The raven-haired wizard closed his mouth with a grin, mimicking locking it shut and tossing the key.

Hermione was fascinated. She knew Remus walked to escape the demons in his head, but that's what she assumed it was - walking. She had no idea the mild-mannered intellectual was, well, an athlete. Though, now that she thought about it, there's no way anyone who sat around reading as much as he did could maintain such lean physique without some form of physical exercise. That didn't mean she was eager to join him.

"How far do you run?"

"Usually a few miles, sometimes more," he said negligently, his attention focused more on the morning's _Daily Prophet_ than Hermione.

"Remus!"

He looked up, startled. "What?"

"I can't run a few miles! I don't even think I can run one mile! Can you, Sirius?"

He snorted. "Please. The only physical exercise I do does not involve sprinting down a path, but lying in a -"

"WE KNOW!" Remus and Hermione shouted.

"Well, she asked," Sirius muttered.

Hermione shook her head and went back to her toast, peeling the crusts from the bread for Noir, the black owl in charge of the household's correspondence. After finishing her tea, she pushed her chair back, sending her dishes to the sink with the wave of her wand. Running was the last thing she wanted to do today – and the next day and the day after that – but she made a deal.

Plus, Sirius was whining enough for both of them.

"When do we go?"

Remus looked at Sirius, who was finishing his second bowl of porridge.

"We'll need to wait for him to digest his breakfast if we want to avoid an embarrassing situation," he said, ignoring the finger Sirius raised in response. "Give it an hour, love. Sweatpants, a long-sleeved shirt, tennis shoes, gloves and hat."

"No coat?"

"You won't need it once you get moving."

* * *

><p>Ninety minutes later, Hermione was convinced Remus Lupin was the biggest liar on the planet. The trio had apparated to a wooded area with a trail Remus said was ideal for beginners, secluded and smooth. His definition of smooth, however, was a lot hiller than hers. After huffing her way up two, Hermione settled for a shuffle that was still faster than whatever Sirius was doing.<p>

"Come on, you two! A little bit further!" Remus called from several yards ahead, his voice echoing amongst the trees.

Watching her breath puff out in shirt, angry bursts, Hermione was so focused on devising new hexes for her once-favorite teacher that she didn't see the tree root, tripping over it and taking Sirius down with her, landing on top of him with force that knocked the air out of both of them.

"Sorry!" She gasped, struggling to get to her feet. "I'm sorry!"

Sirius wrapped his arms around Hermione to keep her in place. "Don't go," he huffed.

"What?"

"If we stay here … we can rest …" he said, panting between words.

Grinning, Hermione relaxed, her body settling on Sirius once more. "Deal."

Laying her head on his broad chest, she listened as his heartbeat slowed, his breathing less forced. After a blessed minute during which neither one moved, Sirius picked up his head.

"My ass is freezing."

"Is that code for you want to get up now?"

"Well, I am rather attached to it. Don't pretend I haven't caught you staring a time or two."

Laughing, Hermione pushed herself to her feet and then held out a hand for Sirius to grasp.

"You know, Sirius, you really ought to see someone about your lack of self-confidence. It's not healthy to think so low of yourself."

Grinning, he brushed the snow off his backside and then cocked his head, holding up a finger to silence Hermione.

"Remus is circling back. Let's go."

Shaking her head, jealous of the amplified hearing the men shared, she started shuffling, the few minutes of rest making it easier to make her attempt at running more of a jog than a hobble.

"Where were you two?" Remus asked, bounding over without a hitch in his breath despite the sweat that glistened on his face, soaking the front of his ratty gray sweatshirt.

"I tripped on a tree, took Sirius down with me," Hermione replied.

"Are you OK? Do we need to go home?"

Spotting Sirius' wide eyes and exaggerated nod behind Remus' head, Hermione grinned evilly.

"No, I'm good. Let's keep going."

"Great," Remus replied. "There's a hill coming up that is a little steep, but the view it worth it."

A few seconds later, he was once again ahead of them, leaving the other two to glare at the path as it started to incline.

"I'm so going to kick your ass, Granger," Sirius muttered.

"No you won't, Black," she replied. "I've seen you checking it out enough to know you're rather fond of it."

Wasting precious air to laugh at his shocked expression, she darted ahead to meet Remus at the top of the hill.

The view was gorgeous.

Damn it.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5: Chapter 5<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN - I own nothing.**

* * *

><p>Sirius stretched out on the couch, the twinge in his left calf annoying him more by the second. He was going to get back at Remus. A nightclub might be out of the question, but his friend had plenty of other dislikes.<p>

"I don't know about you, but I rather liked it," Hermione said, walking in with two glasses of water, one she handed to Sirius. Sitting cross-legged on the rug, she bent forward in a stretch, the tip of her nose nearly to the floor. Sirius decided he must be dying if he didn't have the energy to appreciate her flexibility.

"Remus is taking a shower," he grumbled. "He can't hear you."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, still focused on her stretch.

"Aren't you sucking up to the teacher?"

She sat up, her face angry, mouth ready to yell, but softened when she saw the grimace on his face.

"Poor Sirius. It's not so easy to race in human form, is it?"

"I would have won if Remus hadn't called four legs cheating."

"He's an evil man," she agreed with a smile, twisting her body slowly to each side. "I'm sorry you got stuck with making dinner all week."

"And the dishes," he pouted.

"And the dishes," she echoed, trying to maintain a sympathetic look, but he caught the twinkle in her eye.

* * *

><p>An hour later, her hair damp from her shower, dressed in a pair of flannel pants and an old shirt of Harry's, Hermione stretched out on her bed, her muscles relaxed and her brain quiet. For the first time in – well, a long time – she felt still. Thoughts weren't racing through her head, moments she'd lived on repeat as she second-guessed every decision made during battle. Rubbing her scarred arm in an unconscious gesture that breaks Sirius' heart every time she does it, Hermione seriously considered adding running to her daily schedule.<p>

Picking up a worn paperback from the stack of books piled on her nightstand, Hermione ignored the satchel of work she'd brought home from work Friday, telling herself she'd get to it in a bit. That was the last thing she remembered before falling asleep.

"See?" Remus whispered from Hermione's doorway, nudging Sirius with his shoulder. "Exercise reduces stress."

Sirius studied Hermione, curled up on her side, one hand under her pillow, the other still holding her book, one finger marking the page. He entered the room, grabbing the knitted afghan in Gryffindor's colors – obviously the work of Molly Weasley – from the rocking chair by Hermione's desk and covered the sleeping witch, making sure to tuck the blanket under her bare feet, which tended to get cold. Taking the paperback from her hands, he moved to put it on the nightstand but stopped, eyebrows rising at the image of two barely-clothed people locked in a passionate embrace.

"Moony!" he hissed, gesturing to the man still leaning against the doorway.

Remus walked over. "What?"

"Check out what our girl reads in the privacy of her own room," he whispered, handing over the book.

Remus glanced down, a smile on his face as he took in the image. Flipping the book over, he scanned the description, his grin growing.

"The next time Hermione suggests you read a book, you should take her up on it," he told his friend, placing the book on the nightstand. Grabbing Sirius by the arm, he pulled him from the room, pulling the door closed to give Hermione her privacy. "You might learn something."

Whistling softly, Remus walked down the hall to his own room. Sirius stared at his best friend's retreating back, waiting until he was sure Remus was out of earshot and tiptoed back into Hermione's room, snatching the book from the table. Minutes later, he was stretched out on his own bed, the dog-eared book in hands.

* * *

><p>"Hermione? Sweetheart, wake up now."<p>

Remus kneeled on the floor next to Hermione's bed, one hand lighting rubbing her shoulder, the other braced on the floor, ready to duck if Hermione woke up too fast. She tended to hex first, ask questions later when waking from a deep sleep or nightmare. Both Remus and Sirius had similar responses, which is why rousing any of them was a chore the others avoided. However, it was Sunday night and the threesome was expected at the Weasley's for dinner in less than an hour. Remus would rather risk a hex than upset Molly.

"Hermione? Honey, we have to leave soon."

"Hmmpf," was the girl's response as she snuggled deeper in her bed.

Taking the risk, Remus slowly sat up until he was sitting on the edge of the bed. He brushed Hermione's hair from her face, happy to see the shadows under her eyes looked lighter today. Rubbing her shoulder again, a little harder this time, he gently shook her. He hadn't seen Sirius in hours. If he was asleep, too, it would be a miracle if they arrive at the Burrow on time.

"'Mione, come on."

"Hmm … Remus?"

"It's me."

"I know," she said on a sigh, eyes still closed. "It's always you."

Remus furrowed his brow, not sure what she meant by that. True, Sirius tended to just bang on the door until Hermione yelled at him to go to hell, but he rushed to her room to comfort her after a nightmare as often as Remus did.

"Sweetheart, are you waking up?"

No response. Remus sighed, hating himself for what he was about to do. Sliding a hand under her pillow, he grasped Hermione's wand, slowly sliding it from her fingers. Placing in on the nightstand next to his, he moved his hand to her side, took a deep breath, and started tickling.

"Merlin!" Hermione shrieked, nearly leaping from the bed. Rummaging under her pillow, her face was panicked, fear turning to anger as she noted Remus sitting on her bed.

"Are you trying to kill me?" She gasped.

"Sorry, love. I tried to wake you, but you wouldn't and -"

She looked around the darkened room, confused.

"What time is it?"

"Just after 5."

"I've been asleep for five hours?!"

"Not just you. I have to go wake up Sirius now."

Hermione flopped on her bed, slapping her arm over her eyes when Remus turned on the lights with a swish of his wand. Placing hers on her stomach, he ran a finger down an exposed foot, chuckling when she jerked it out of his reach. The twins liked to joke that if the Death Eaters had known how ticklish Hermione was, the war would have ended a lot differently.

"Get a move on, sweetheart," he said, walking to the door. "We need to leave soon."

Pretending not to hear the curse she muttered, he walked to Sirius' door, knocked twice, waited a minute and slowly opened it. Like Hermione, Sirius was sound sleep, only the lights were still on, a book resting on his stomach. Remus glanced at the cover and shook his head. His friend had gotten much further in his reading than Hermione.

Stepping back in the hall, he slammed the door closed, then jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding the burst of blue light that shot through the wood.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty!" Remus called. "We need to leave for dinner in 30 minutes."

Sirius didn't bother to mumble his cursing.

* * *

><p>"Come in, everyone, come in!" Arthur Weasley opened the front door wider, a smile on his round face. Shaking Remus' hand and clasping Sirius on the shoulder, his eyes lit up at the young girl he considered his second daughter. Enfolding Hermione in his arms, he hugged her enthusiastically, lifting her slightly off the floor. Hermione held on, squeezing back just as hard. It didn't matter she saw him nearly every day at work. Sunday night was family night and the Weasley family greeted each other with hugs, no matter how often they saw each other.<p>

"How are you, dearest?" Setting Hermione down, he studied her carefully, noting that she looked well-rested for once.

"I'm fine, Mr. Weasley."

"Come now, you're an adult. Call me Arthur!"

Hermione shook her head with a smile. She could never address Arthur and Molly as anything but Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Luckily, Harry felt the same way.

Sighing affectionately, Arthur rubbed his head over Hermione's curls, eyes traveling to the ceiling at the crash overhead.

"That would be the boys," he said.

"Which ones?" Remus asked, helping Hermione with her coat.

"All of them."

"Even Charlie?" Sirius asked, ignoring the spark of interest in Hermione's eyes at Charlie's name. The second-oldest Weasley rarely came back for family dinners. He'd always return for Christmas, weddings and other noted family events, but his work with the dragons was too important to leave every week.

"Yes, we're a full house tonight," Arthur announced. "Come on, let's sit."

Arthur threw an arm around Sirius, pulling him into the crowded family room, Remus following.

"I'm going to say hi to Mrs. Weasley," Hermione announced, detouring to the kitchen, which was filled with the scent roast beef, mashed potatoes, freshly-baked bread, and chocolate cake. In the middle of the chaos, a short, plump witch with bushy red hair stacked glasses on the oversized kitchen table, eyes narrowed as she used her wand to move each cup to its proper place.

Hermione waited for Molly to finish before clearing her throat.

"Hermione! When did you get here, dear?"

"Just now," she replied, walking in to accept the hug and kiss. "What can I do to help?"

The question just left her mouth when there was a loud explosion upstairs. Both women could hear Ron's bellows over the twins' laughter.

"You could control my children for the next 10 minutes," Mrs. Weasley said in a frustrated voice. "I swear, the older they get, the harder they are to manage. And Harry! He used to be such a quiet boy."

Hermione smiled. "I'll handle it."

"I know you will, dear. Thank you."

Ducking through the cramped hallway, Hermione walked through the living room, waving to the three men in deep conversation by the fireplace, not noticing the two pairs of eyes that followed her as she walked up the stairs. Arthur did, clearing his voice to bring them back to the conversation.

He was going to have to talk to Remus and Sirius. He knew that. He was the closest thing Hermione had to a father, so it was his responsibility to make sure his girl was OK. The thought, though, made him squirm.

"Are you OK, Arthur? You look pale." Remus peered at his friend's face, mistaking his discomfort for sickness.

"I'm fine, fine," he replied. "Having everyone home – it can be taxing."

As if on cue, an explosion sounded as soon as Arthur finished talking, the blast causing a lamp on the fireplace mantle to crash to the floor. Sighing, Arthur used his wand to repair it before Molly came rushing out of the kitchen.

He loved Sunday dinners.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6: Chapter 6<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN - I own nothing.**

* * *

><p>Hermione knocked on the closed door, grinning at the sound of several bodies rushing around the twins' old bedroom. Eyes sparkling with mischief, she took out her wand and whispering a quick spell, altered her voice to mimic Molly Weasley's.<p>

"I am counting to three and if this door does not open, I guarantee all nine of you – this includes you, Fleur and Harry – will be sorry!"

Snickering at Fleur's squeak of indignation, Hermione ended the spell a second before the door opened, revealing a disheveled Percy.

"Mum! I told them -" he began, stopping when he realized the woman he feared above all was not at the door.

It was the second woman he feared.

"Blimey, Hermione," he sighed, stepping back to allow her entry into the twins' old bedroom. "You do know how to stop a man's heart."

"In more ways than one!" George yelled from his perch on his bed, an upside down book in his hands. Fred was in a similar pose on his bed, only it was he and Ginny pretending to read a parchment, again upside down as it was the first thing they grabbed in their flight to assume innocent poses.

Charlie, Bill and Fleur sat in a circle on the floor, playing cards haphazardly sprung about, while Ron and Harry looked up from their chessboard.

"I know your mother is not as obsessed with chess as you, Ron, but even she'd realize none of the pieces are where they ought to be," Hermione said, swinging an arm around her friend's shoulders and kissing him fondly on the cheek.

"Bloody hell," he exhaled with a sigh. "Please don't ever use that spell again."

"It's pretty great, isn't it?" Hermione grinned, unable to block the pillows that came zooming at her. A pile of bodies followed, an all-out wrestling and tickling war declared as some of the brightest witches and wizards of their time reverted back to the simple pleasures.

"CHILDREN!" Molly Weasley yelled, hands on hips as she surveyed her children, for every person in that room was her child in her eyes and in her heart. "Stop this right now!"

"Nice try, Hermione!" Fred yelled, tugging off her left shoe, tickling her foot with glee.

Hermione fell back on the floor, her head knocking into Bill's, who also was on his back, his small wife on top of him, trying to rub an discarded sock in his face, despite the fact that he held both of her wrists in one of his hands.

Ron and George had ganged up on Charlie, the threesome wrestling in the corner, bodies crashing into furniture, while Harry, Ginny and Percy were covered in feathers, thanks to the pillows they continued to swing at each other, despite their lack of stuffing.

"It's not me," Hermione gasped between laughter. "Fred! It's your mum -"

"Like any of us are thick enough to fall for that again!" Harry yelled, abandoning Ginny to help Fred torment his best friend.

"Harry James Potter, you leave that girl alone THIS INSTANT!"

Everyone stopped, heads lifting slowly to meet they eyes of Molly Weasley who stood in the doorway, cheeks flushed, wand at the ready. Arthur, Remus and Sirius were behind her, each man grinning at the mess before them.

"Mum -" Ginny started,

"Don't you 'Mum' me, young lady," Molly replied, not acknowledging the quick intake of breathe everyone took with the words 'young lady.' Those two words injected more fear than any punishment or hex. "I have spent all day making dinner for my family and this is the thanks I get! Each and every one of you is an adult! It is high time you start acting like it!"

Turning on her heel, she pointed a finger at her husband, who quickly replaced his grin with a stern look. "That goes for you, too!"

Pushing her way past the three men, she stomped downstairs. No one moved, waiting for Remus, who had the best hearing out of all of them, to acknowledge it was safe to talk.

"She's in the kitchen," he said.

As one, 10 bodies released their breath, bodies slumping in relief.

Downstairs, Molly finished setting the table, humming quietly, a smile on her face.

She loved Sunday dinners.

* * *

><p>They say war changes a person, but no one expected Percy Weasley to change as much as he did. The former Hogwarts Prefect used to love rules and order, considering the fun-loving lifestyle he grew up in the lowest form of living. Some think it was his brush with death in the final battle that changed him, when really it was the weeks of recovery after that made Percy let out the breath he had been holding for years. He'd watch in envy as visitor after visitor would appear at Fred's bedside, noting the lively conversations he'd have with family members; the same people who would simply sit by Percy's bed, grateful to have him there, but not sure how to express it.<p>

"Bloody hell!" Fred had yelled from his bed across the room, after watching George and Run struggle to have a conversation with the brother they've known their entire life. "He may as well be dead for the way you act around him!"

His outburst made Percy laugh for the first time in, well, a long time. Slowly, the walls he had built between him and his family crumbled. Not willing to go back to the Ministry after witnessing its corruption firsthand, Percy settled for a small apartment in London, spending his days as a freelance researcher for the twins', helping the pair bring some of their wildest ideas to life.

The change suited him, although it was still unsettling at times to realize Percy was part of the brains behind Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes.

"Stranger things have happened," Ron murmured to Hermione as they watched Percy and the twins demonstrate one of their newest inventions – a tiny rubber ball, similar to what muggle children use when playing jacks – that moved according to the amount of energy in a room. The wilder the residents', the faster the fall bounced from floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall.

"I'm afraid I don't understand the point," Fleur said, ducking her head as the ball flew past, crashing into a pile of quills and parchment Ginny had just stacked on the bureau.

"There is no point," Percy said. "That's what makes it fun."

"No, knowing this little thing has the potential to drive adults batty is what makes it fun," George corrected, his eyes never leaving the tiny red ball as it bounced toward Harry, who deftly grabbed it, showing off his seeker skills.

"Thanks mate!" Fred said cheerfully, taking the ball and dunking it into a glass of water, the only way to keep it still.

"I'm so glad you didn't invent that when we were in school," Hermione said from her perch on Fred's bed, Ron on her right side, Charlie on her left. "Can you imagine the destruction?"

"Exactly," the twins, and Percy, said.

"Dinner!" Arthur hollered up the stairs, the announcement causing nearly every Weasley to dash out the door. Luckily, Bill remembered his wife and helped her off the floor first. Harry, though, was left in the dust as Ginny raced her brothers down the stairs.

"Coming, Hermione? Charlie?"

"In a minute," she answered, looking at Charlie who nodded in confirmation.

Harry left; a questioning look on his face. As soon as he shut the door, Charlie pounced on Hermione, pressing her against the bed, his hands tangled in her hair, his lips against hers in a demanding kiss. Hermione brought her jean-covered legs up around his waist, pressing her heels against his back as she thrust upward, feeling his length at the apex of her thighs.

"Christ, Hermione!" Charlie gasped; breaking away to trail kisses down her neck, pushing his body into hers as much as he could through the barrier of their clothes. Hermione responded by trailing her hands down his back, cupping his backside, forcing him to move harder. "I've missed you."

"You saw me at Christmas," she replied breathlessly, arching her neck to give Charlie better access.

Nibbling on her collarbone, Charlie slid one hand from her hair to cup her breast, his calloused fingers plucking her nipple through the thin cotton of her long-sleeved shirt. Hermione sighed in pleasure, waiting for his hands to travel under her shirt to touch her more freely. When he didn't move, she grabbed his face in her hands, her tongue sliding past his lips. Not breaking the kiss, she twisted on the bed, forcing Charlie to his back, her legs bracketing his lean waist. Charlie copied Hermione's move earlier, sliding his arms down her back, gripping her hips to hold her still as he drove his body upward, the heels of his boots pressed against the bed.

"We have … to go … to dinner," Hermione said between kisses, unable to stop herself from grinding against Charlie. She ground her body into his, desperate for release. Charlie watched her eyes glaze, knowing he could see her explode in pleasure within seconds if he kept moving.

But where's the fun in that?

Sitting up, Charlie lifted Hermione off of him, ignoring her cry of protest and his own aching need. Standing, he adjusted his clothing, running his fingers through his hair in attempt to bring order to the disheveled mane, grinning at the confused look on Hermione's face.

"Come on, love," he said, holding out a hand, pulling her up when she took it. Looking down, he couldn't help but smile at her pouting lips. Ignoring her narrowed eyes, he kissed the top of her forehead and dragged her from the bedroom, stopping at the bathroom at the top of the stairs. "You might want to freshen up first," he told her, a wicked look in his eyes.

"You think this is funny, Charlie Weasley?" Hermione hissed.

Pressing her against the wall, Charlie grabbed her chin in one hand, pressing his lips against hers in another bruising kiss. "Think of it as payback for my birthday," he whispered against her lips before turning to walk downstairs.

Hermione slumped against the wall, waiting for her heart to stop racing and her temper to cool down. Her fling with Charlie, for that's all it can be called since the pair often go months without seeing each other, started during her sixth year at Hogwarts, when fear of death made Hermione seek out Ron's older brother for comfort after a particularly difficult dueling practice. She gave him her virginity freely, knowing he was too tied to his job to ever consider her as more than shag when the need suited them. Not many people were aware of Charlie's dominant side, his need for complete control trumping Hermione's own desire to call the shots. With him, she could truly let go – she had no choice – and just feel. Even in her darkest moments, Hermione knew if it wasn't for Charlie, there's no way she'd be holding it together as well as she was.

It was fortunate a trip to Romania to converse with a group of witches regarding an untranslated prophecy fell on Charlie's birthday. Lonely, frustrated and filled with bravery brought on by foreign alcohol, Hermione showed up at his flat wearing nothing under her cloak, giving him no time to react as she tackled him to the ground, taking him into her body, riding fiercely until she screamed with relief. She leaned forward for a chaste kiss on the lips before apparating home.

Hermione knew she'd be punished for her behavior. She relished the fact, actually, waiting all of Christmas Day for his revenge. Instead, he snuck into her room at Grimmauld Place, having his way with her until her voice was hoarse from screaming, his back covered with scratches from her fingernails, both unable to make to her bed as they slumped on the floor in exhaustion. He was gone when she woke the next morning, in bed, the covers pulled over her naked, bruised body.

She should have known he'd get back at her when she least expected it.

With a huff, Hermione flounced into the bathroom, fixing her clothes and hair until she looked presentable, muttering a quick spell to hide the evidence of Charlie's kisses on her neck. Leaning against the sink, hands grasping the cool porcelain, Hermione counted backwards from 100, until her body was relaxed and she could fake her way through dinner. However, no spell could erase the glimmer of anger, coupled with sexual frustration and excitement, in her eyes; a look both Remus and Sirius noticed when she took her seat at the table, in-between Harry and Ron.

"Down, Padfoot," Remus murmured, noticing his friend's white-knuckled grip on his fork as he stared at Charlie, who was talking to Percy and Arthur without a care in the world.

Sighing, Sirius accepted the glass of wine handed to him by Ginny, emptying the goblet in one swallow.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7: Chapter 7<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Characters are not mine.**

* * *

><p>"At least tomorrow night's dinner is taken care of," Sirius said, storing the pile of leftovers Molly thrust in his hands before the three of them headed home in the refrigerator. Opening the cupboard doors, he searched for the collection of paper plates and plastic silverware he purchased at a Muggle grocery store the last time he was saddled with dish duty.<p>

Housework spells never were his strong suit.

Hermione watched from the doorway, still feeling twitchy after her encounter with Charlie. He didn't speak to her for the rest of the night – not even making eye contact as she helped Molly serve dessert – leaving with the twins shortly after. Shifting her weight from one foot to the other, she looked up at the ceiling, wondering if he'd make another appearance in her bedroom. If so, she was going to make sure he'd regret his earlier behavior.

"Well, I'm off to bed."

Sirius turned away from the cupboard.

"It's not even 9:00," he told her.

"I'm tired."

"You slept most of the day," Remus said, brushing by Hermione's side as he entered the kitchen. She sucked in a deep breath at the brief contact of his arm against the side of her breast.

Merlin, she was so turned on. If she didn't leave now … Not finishing the thought, Hermione turned on her heel and ran upstairs, calling good night over her shoulder.

"Fucking Charlie Weasley," Remus muttered.

Sirius gave a bark of laughter, happy to know he wasn't the only one suffering.

"I'm pretty sure that didn't happen, hence that," he said, pointing upstairs at the sound of Hermione slamming her bedroom door closed.

"Who's to say we're not going to get a repeat of Christmas?" Remus asked.

The two men grimaced, remembering every breathy moan, every scream they'd overheard before apparating to the first club Sirius could think of, spending the night wrapped up in a witch neither one could name the next morning.

"Feel like going out?" Sirius asked.

"Not really."

A resounding thud over their heads made both men look overhead. Sighing, Remus laid his head on the table.

"Silencing charms?" Sirius asked.

"You think?"

Upstairs, Hermione glared at the pile of books she had swept to the floor in frustration after reading the note Charlie had left on her bedside table, next to one long-stemmed red rose.

_Sweet dreams, Hermione_.

"Fucking Charlie Weasley," she muttered, throwing herself on her bed with a groan.

* * *

><p>"Have you picked your activity, Hermione?"<p>

Hermione looked up from her dinner plate – leftovers, again – at Remus. She buried herself in work the past two days, channeling sexual frustration into tying up loose ends on various projects, but she had not forgotten Sirius' plan.

She was in desperate need of the distraction.

"Actually, I have. Are you free tomorrow night?"

Both men nodded.

"Great," Hermione said. "Meet me at the Ministry at 6. We can grab a quick bite -"

"That counts for the bet, Remus," Sirius interrupted.

"- and go to the place."

"And where are we going, love?"

Hermione smiled at Sirius.

"Wear old clothes," she replied.

* * *

><p>"No."<p>

Sirius stood on the sidewalk, jaw set, his arms crossed over his chest in a stubborn stance.

"No, what?" Hermione asked innocently.

"I'm not going in there."

"You have to, Padfoot. This is Hermione's pick."

"I said 'No knitting,' Moony."

"This isn't knitting," he said, gesturing to the small shop on the corner of the London street. "It's painting."

"Painting. Knitting. They're all the same."

"No, darling, one involves needles, the other a brush, but I understand how you might get confused," Hermione replied as if she was speaking to a child.

Ignoring Sirius' low growl, she linked her her arm through his. Tugging slightly, she pulled him closer to the entrance of the Muggle art shop, which offered step-by-step painting lessons, with students recreating classic masterpieces over the course of the evening. Hermione wasn't the creative type, but this was the only activity she could think of that would make Sirius squirm without breaking the rules.

Grabbing Remus' hand, she dragged both into the brightly-lit studio; grinning when it was obvious they were the only males present, the looks of appreciation the women gave the lanky werewolf and muscular wizard making both men tense.

She was feeling better already.

* * *

><p>"I don't know while you're still complaining," Hermione said three hours later. She was sitting on the couch in the study, between Remus and Sirius. All three rested their feet on the coffee table in front of the couch, scrutinizing the canvasses she had propped on the fireplace mantel. "Yours is obviously the best one."<p>

It was true.

The night's lesson was Van Gogh's _Starry Night_, a painting so famous, even Sirius was aware of it. The three had perched on their stools, following the instructor's directions, attempting to turn their blank canvasses into the colorful night sky, with varying degrees of success. Truthfully, Hermione expected Remus to excel at the activity. He was the cultured one, after all, but his finished product resembled the twins' work lab after a prank gone wrong.

Her own painting wasn't much better.

Sirius, thought, had managed to capture the swirls of light and dark, his mix of blues and yellows blending effortlessly. The instructor loved his work, holding it up for everyone to see, which made Remus laugh so hard, he nearly fell off his stool.

"I've been telling you I'm the best for years," Sirius said, secretly pleased with his creation. The night wasn't nearly as horrible as he expected. The instructor was patient, the other women funny. Watching Hermione struggle to paint a simple circle on her canvas helped ease the tension he had been carrying since Sunday night.

"So, what do we do with them?" Remus asked.

Hermione turned to look at him. "What do you mean?"

"We're not leaving them there, are we?"

Giggling at his horrified expression, she snuggled deeper into the couch. "Not yours," she replied. "Nor mine."

"Then not mine, either," Sirius said. "I'm not going to be the only one Molly will lecture on artistic development and the need for a creative outlet. Next thing you know, _she'll _be giving me knitting lessons."

Laughing because it was true, Remus opened his mouth to reply, but stopped when he saw Hermione asleep, her chest rising and falling with deep, even breaths.

"Huh. Either your plan is working and she's getting back to a normal sleep schedule or we're boring prats."

"I've been called many things, Moony. Boring was never one of them."

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8: Chapter 8<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN - I own nothing.**

* * *

><p>"Oi! Hermione!"<p>

Hermione glanced around Diagon Alley, trying to find the source of the call. A second later, Ron tackled her from behind, swinging her up in arms for a quick twirl. Her feet had just touched the sidewalk when Harry swept in, dipping Hermione low to the ground.

"Aren't you both clever?" She laughed, tucking loose curls under her bright purple stocking hat before hugging them both; her face buried in their necks that she didn't notice the relieved looks that passed between her friends. Neither knew what had happened in the last two weeks to transform Hermione from a former ghost of herself to the laughing witch with color in her cheeks and, judging from their impromptu dance moves, a few more pounds.

No that they were daft enough to mention that.

"What are you up to this fine afternoon?" Ron asked.

"Channeling a bit of Fred today, are we?" Hermione asked, linking her arms through his and Harry's, and continuing her walk to Flourish and Blotts.

Ron grinned. "It always works for him."

"You have your own charm, Ron," Hermione said, laughing when Harry snorted.

"Shut it, mate," Ron said without heat. "Seriously, we haven't seen you in forever."

"A week isn't forever."

"It feels like it," Harry said. "I still can't believe you're on sabbatical."

"It's not by choice, Harry. Kingsley said I had to take my vacation time or lose it. When I told him I'd lose it, I got an hour long lecture on the importance of caring for one's self."

Ron shuddered.

"Then he told me I didn't have a choice and he'd see me in a month."

"So, what have you been doing?" Ron asked

"Reading," all three answered as one.

"Yes," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "I've gone running with Remus and I'm trying to teach Sirius how to cook something beyond the leftovers your mother gives us."

"Sirius cooking …" Harry said in wonderment.

"Hermione running …" Ron added.

"Remus running …" Harry said.

"And cleaning," Hermione added, walking into Flourish and Blotts, heading straight for the housekeeping section. "We finally talked Sirius into doing something with his house rather than let it rot."

"But that's his way of annoying his family in hell," Harry said.

"I think sharing the Noble House of Black with a half-blood werewolf and muggle-born witch is the definitive 'fuck you' on that subject, Harry," Hermione said, kneeling on the dusty floor to skim the titles on the lowest shelf. "Besides, when I mentioned finding a place of my own, he promised anything to make me stay."

Harry raised an eyebrow at the word 'anything.'

"So you hit him where it hurts," Ron said.

"In a sense," she murmured, again not catching the look shared between Harry and Ron.

* * *

><p>"You are the biggest packrat I know," Remus said, shoving past a collection of furniture to enter the Grimmauld Place attic. The oversized room ran their entire length of the house, with a wall of windows on one side letting in the natural light. Hermione had mentioned the space would make an amazing library several times over the years, but it wasn't until she brought up moving out – again – that Sirius jumped on the suggestion.<p>

Two days later, he was beginning to think moving out had his merits – as long as he and Remus got to go, too.

"Hey, don't blame me. I was in prison when most of this shit was accumulated," Sirius replied, his hands on his hips as he scrutinized the crowded space.

The three had tackled the bedrooms first, clearing out the three that weren't in use, with the thought that the empty rooms could be temporary storage for the furniture and other items Sirius wanted to keep after cleaning out the attic, study, kitchen, dining room, living room, and front parlor. Neither Hermione nor Remus listened as Sirius grumbled about not wanting to keep anything his family deemed important, understanding that part of his protest was general grumbling; the other deep-rooted pain.

Walking to an oversized armoire, Remus opened the doors cautiously. He has accidentally freed a boggart in from a wardrobe two days ago, unable to tear his eyes from the image of a lifeless Hermione on the ground, torn to pieces by the werewolf standing over her. It was Sirius who shouted "Riddikulus!" banishing the boggart back to the abandoned piece of furniture, contacting Arthur for assistance in getting it out of the house.

Remus disappeared for the rest of the day, returning only after the house was quiet, his clothing drenched in sweat, chest heaving with exhaustion after running mile after punishing mile, still unable to sleep as he laid in bed, eyes wide open as he stared at the dark ceiling.

"We should just call a rubbish service," Sirius said, poking through a collection of moth-eaten clothes in a trunk.

"For most of this, sure …" Remus replied. "But what about Harry?"

"What about me?" Harry asked, walking up the stairs, eyes widening as he took in the scene.

"I wondered if you wanted any of this," Sirius said.

Harry studied the oversized hat Sirius held in his hands, a large orange flower on the side, and grinned.

"As dashing as that is, I think I'm good."

Sirius threw the hat at Harry, laughing when he batted it away.

"I meant the furniture, smartass. You and Ginny might want to pick some things for your home."

"Really?" Harry asked. "That would be great Sirius; thanks!"

"Don't thank me, mate. I just want to have something to sit on the next time you have us over for dinner."

"There's a catch," Remus shouted from the far side of the attic.

Harry sighed. There's always a catch.

"Yeah?"

"You have to help us clear out this room."

He knew he should have gone to London with Hermione and Ron to purchase cleaning supplies.

* * *

><p>"I'm telling you, it was the coolest thing I ever saw! One minute, there's a stain, the next minute, it's gone!" Ron babbled as her helped Hermione unload their purchases in the kitchen, Harry, Remus and Sirius sitting exhausted at the table, faces sweaty, their clothing grimy. Hermione gently brushed a cobweb off of Serius' shoulders on her way to the pantry with a bottle of bleach and another of vinegar. The wizard thought briefly of getting up to help her, but the ache in his back told him the gesture wouldn't be as gallant as he wanted.<p>

"They call is a Rug Doctor! Hermione, do people actually go to medical school to operate this thing? I mean, it's incredible! I never understood Dad's fascination with muggles' inventions, but this one – Mum would love it!"

"Piece of advice, Ron – never give a woman anything that comes with an extension cord," Hermione told him.

Ron wasn't sure what an extension cord was, but he didn't care enough to ask, his thoughts still on the things he saw at the home improvement store with Hermione that afternoon. Joining the others at the kitchen table, he sipped the lemonade Hermione had poured for everyone, grateful he wasn't Harry. He hadn't seen his best friend look that tired in years.

"We aren't moving your stuff today, right?" Ron asked.

Harry shook his head. "No. I know what I like, but Ginny might feel differently."

Ron rolled his eyes. Harry faced Lord Voldemort, but was scared of his baby sister.

"Feel free to take a look, Ron, see if there's anything you want," Sirius said with a yawn.

"Really? Brilliant!" He jumped up and ran out the door, his feet heavy on the stairs. Harry and Sirius followed, though their steps were significantly slower. Remus didn't move.

"How are you feeling, Remus?" Hermione asked, pouring him a second glass of lemonade.

He looked up from where he was slouched in his chair, face pale, eyes hollow. Hermione knew cleaning out the attic wasn't going to be easy, but the exhausted look on Remus, face went beyond a day of physical labor.

"Oh … you know …"

Smiling in sympathy, Hermione walked to Remus' chair, placed her hands on his shoulders and started to knead the tension from his body. His head dropped forward in a sigh, groaning as she pressed her thumbs on the tendons in his neck.

"Thank you for doing this, Remus."

"Anything for you, love," he murmured.

"It's good for Sirius, too," she continued.

He nodded, too tired to talk. Hermione's fingers slid up the sides of his face, into his hair, where she gently massaged his scalp. He couldn't stop the moan that followed. Dear God, if he didn't feel like he had been hit by a thousand hexes, he'd take Hermione in his arms and …

"Can I ask you for one more favor, Remus?"

"If you don't stop, you can have anything you want."

She chuckled softly, her hands sliding down his back, pressing harder when he growled in appreciation. After a couple of minutes, her touch grew lighter, stroking his back, shoulders and neck with a soft caresses that felt like heaven. He felt her breath on his neck before she kissed him gently on his cheek, her hair brushing against the side of his face as she bent down to whisper in his ear. "Can you try and sleep tonight? Please? I don't want you to get sick," he said, rubbing her cheek against his.

He laughed a little. "Isn't that my line?"

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders in a friendly hug. "What can I say? You taught me well."

* * *

><p>"I am in love with Molly Weasley," Sirius said. "If Arthur wasn't such a great man, I'd whisk her off to Paris where we'd live in sin for the rest of our lives."<p>

Taking one final bite of bread pudding, he groaned in appreciation for the amazing food Molly had brought in gratitude for the furnishings he'd given Harry, Ginny, and Ron. The pudding, though, was a special thank for the stained-glass lamp Sirius had found. The oversized shade was made from bits of glass in varying shades of red. Sirius gave it to Molly at dinner last night, telling her it reminded him of seeing all the Weasleys at the dinner table, heads together as they talked and laughed and fought. She cried, immediately making him regret his words, and hugged the wizard tightly, any lingering misgivings she had about his playboy lifestyle disappearing with his kind gesture.

Well, most of them, anyway.

"You'll have to fight me for her, Padfoot," Remus said. "That woman is amazing."

Hermione was too full to answer, but nodded in agreement.

The threesome was sprawled on the hardwood attic floor. The oak was no longer scratched and stained, the walls repainted a soft gray and the glass windows sparkling. The shelves the men had dragged up from the study had been installed against the walls, magically charmed to shrink or grow to fit the space perfectly in a floor-to-ceiling creation that made Hermione sigh with happiness very time she walked in the room. They had spent the day at a furniture store, choosing rugs, couch, chairs, tables and lamps for the space. Remus and Sirius refused to offer input while Hermione studied curtains, wandering over to a pool table to pass the time.

That was going to be delivered tomorrow, too.

"We've let the whole 'Get a life plan' slide while we worked on the house, Sirius," Hermione said, rolling to her back and stretching, her muscles feeling amazingly loose and her stomach full. "Are we still doing that, or are we good?"

"Nice try, love," Sirius replied. "Day after tomorrow, it starts again. Be ready."

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9: Chapter 9<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN - I own nothing.**

* * *

><p>Hermione was frozen in place, unable to lift her feet from where they were planted on the cement floor. She ignored the conversations around her, the laughter and shrieks of excitement. She was idly aware of Ginny's arm around her waist and words shouted in her ear, but she couldn't open her mouth to reply.<p>

"Hermione?" Remus appeared in front of her, a concerned look on his face that, despite his promise to brew a sleeping potion, still looked fatigued.

"I don't want to do this, Remus," she whispered.

"Sweetheart –"

"I DON'T want to do this," she hissed.

Remus looked conflicted, then nodded slowly and walked over to Sirius, who was waiting in line with Harry, listening intently as he grandson explained the muggle money he held in his hands.

"… you're going to want to give them this one and –"

"Padfoot."

"In a second, Moony," he replied, looking at the notes in his hands.

"Sirius."

"Just wait!"

"Sirius!"

His head jerked up. "_What?!"_

Remus gestured to Hermione, who had yet to move, her pale skin a few shades lighter than normal.

"Oh, for the love of …" Pushing the money into Harry's hands, Sirius left the line, grabbed Hermione by the arm and walked her over to a table, making her sit on the bench. Kneeling at her feet, he knew Remus would handle the situation with patience and understanding.

He wasn't Remus.

"Scared?"

"I don't like heights, Sirius."

"I don't like painting. I still did it."

"This isn't the same."

"The hell it isn't. You chose something you knew I'd hate and I did it with minimal fuss."

She snorted, the sound making Sirius grin. Oh yeah, she was going to be fine.

"Love, this place is crawling with little kids. One girl is having her birthday party right over there," he gestured to the crowded table across the room, covered in presents, yellow and purple balloons tied to the back of each chair. "Do you really think parents would choose a dangerous location for a child's party?"

"You would," she muttered.

Standing up, he ruffled her hair, laughing at her impatient sigh.

"You're a Gryffindor, love. You're doing this."

She watched him walk back to the counter, his stride confident.

"Bastard," she whispered.

* * *

><p>"Right, so who's going first?"<p>

Everyone looked at Sirius, who had a harness strapped around his hips, a black helmet covering his hair. Shooting a cocky grin at Hermione, he walked toward the instructor, listening intently to the last-minute instructions. Once the pulley was attached was attached to his harness, he approached the indoor rock climbing wall, grasped a handhold, and shimmied up the structure, his shoes confidently finding footholds, arm muscles bulging as he lifted himself higher and higher.

"Go Sirius!" Harry yelled.

Ginny bounced on her heels in excitement, while Fred focused on the stopwatch in Remus' hands.

"89 seconds!" he yelled up to Sirius, who reached the top of the first structure with minimal exertion. Laughing, he pushed off the wall, rappelling down the side gracefully.

"All right," the instructor said after Sirius was back on the ground. "Who's next?"

Ginny rushed forward, her red hair streaming behind her as she shimmied up the wall, beating Sirius' time by four seconds.

"Top that, Harry!" she shouted.

One-by-one, Hermione watched her friends conquer the structure. It was called the novice course, but she was pretty sure the person who named it was mental.

"OK, Hermione, right?"

Hermione nodded absently, not looking at the instructor, but staring at the wall. She didn't hear the words of encouragement Ginny, Ron and Harry shouted, or the bet George made with Fred regarding her performance. She didn't feel Sirius and Remus watching her intently. All she saw was the wall, looming before her, looking much higher than it was for everyone else.

"… are you ready?"

She looked at the instructor, his wide smile and sparkling blue eyes. Something in his face – Encouragement? Reassurance? Temporary insanity? – made her nod. Walking forward, she placed her hands on two red holds, waiting for the signal to go.

"Begin!"

Tuning everything out, Hermione pulled herself off the ground, her right foot finding a hold eight inches off the ground. Finding her footing, she focused on the left, moving up a few inches more. Reaching above her, she grasped two more handholds and started the process again, careful to look up, never down. Her legs threatened to buckle under her. Her arms shook with effort. Perspiration gathered at the base of her neck, a single line trailing down her back. Dammit, now her nose itched.

"I hate you, Sirius Black," she muttered.

The wizard had sidled up to her during Remus' climb, whispering in her ear that she didn't have to go all the way to the top when it was her turn. "As long as you give it a go, love, that's enough," he told her.

"Egotistical."

She pulled herself up another foot.

"Narcissistic."

Two more feet.

"Arrogant."

Three feet.

"Bastard."

"You do know she's cursing you, right?" Remus asked his friend, both of them watching Hermione fight her way up the wall. She didn't move with the confidence Sirius had shown, the enthusiasm of Ginny or Remus' concentration, but utter determination. Anyone watching below would know this girl didn't give up.

"I would expect nothing less," he replied, smiling broadly when Hermione reached the top, her face lighting up as she looked down at him triumphantly.

"There she is," he murmured.

Remus watched as she rappelled down the side, her head thrown back in ecstasy. Slinging an arm around his friend's shoulder, he felt a lightness he hadn't experienced in a long time. "I knew she wasn't all the way gone."

Sirius looked at Remus earnestly. "Neither are you."

He nodded. "Nor you, Padfoot," he said hoarsely.

"Ohmigod!" Hermione shouted, crashing into both men, hugging them tightly. "That was brilliant! Let's go again!"

* * *

><p>"I don't know how you're going to top that, Moony," Sirius said, eyes on the cue ball as he lined up his shot.<p>

They'd spent the afternoon at the gym, the entire group pushing themselves to climb walls with higher levels of difficulty, no one wanting to be the first to back down from a challenge. Unsurprisingly, it was Ginny who outlast them all, the tiny Quidditch player showing no fear no matter the obstacle.

"It was a good pick," Remus admitted, leaning on his pool stick.

"She's the kind of girl who needs adventure in her life," Sirius said, grunting in frustration when he missed his next shot. Walking over to the bar, he lifted his glass of firewhiskey, sipping slowly as Remus studied the table's layout.

"She had nothing but adventure for years," he said.

"Exactly my point. She might think she wants a quiet life now, but the fact is she's conditioned for more than that."

Sinking two balls, Remus stood up and studied his friend. He knew Sirius had feelings for Hermione, feelings that went beyond friendship and simple lust. Sirius never had a problem catching women or keeping them once they were his; he just never cared enough to make the effort beyond the chase. Hermione, though … she just might be the exception to the rule.

"Should we talk about this?" he asked.

Sirius finished his drink. "About what?"

"Hermione."

"Moony …"

"What? You love her."

He leaned against the bar, crossed his arms and studied his friend. "As do you."

Remus nodded.

"How long?" Sirius asked. "How long have you loved her?"

Remus ran his fingers through his hair, throwing his stick on the table. If they were going to do this, he was going to drink.

"Since her graduation?" he asked, as if he couldn't pinpoint an exact time he didn't love her. "Before, she was just Hermione, an amazingly brilliant young witch, but nothing more than Harry's friend."

"So, what changed?"

"Well … she grew up."

Both men grinned ruefully, thinking of Hermione's pale, soft, skin, slender figure, full breasts and hair that went on for miles. Sirius has lost count the number of times he's wanted to grab a handful of curls, wrapping them around his wrist so he could pull her head back and feed on her full lips as he pounded into her from behind, her whimpers of desire pushing him further, faster. Remus fantasized about taking Hermione against the wall, her legs wrapped around his waist, arms gripping his shoulders and he sunk his fingers into her hips, sliding her up and down his length until she fell apart in his arms.

"You?" Remus asked.

"Moving day," he said. "She dropped a box of books on my foot and lectured me about the dangers of a cluttered staircase. She had her hands on her hips and that know-it-all look on her face and I … I wanted her. I wanted her more than I ever wanted anyone."

"But now it's more than that?"

Sirius rubbed the back of his neck.

"She makes me happy. I feel, I don't know, lighter when she's around. We can be fighting, laughing, eating – we don't have to be doing anything, and I'm happy. She's my light."

Remus nodded, knowing exactly what he meant.

"Same for you?" Sirius asked.

"She makes me want to be a better man. No, she makes me believe I'm a better man. She has never considered me less than human and gets mad if she catches me feeling sorry for myself. When James and Lily died, and you were gone … it was hard to hold on. I wanted to be around for Harry, if he needed me, but then you came back and, honestly, I thought maybe it was a sign that my time was served and I could just leave."

Sirius watched his friend, knowing death was always on the back of his mind. Not the fear of dying, but the peace he hoped it would bring.

"But then Voldemort came back and we had to fight again and this witch, this tiny little thing with bushy hair and buck teeth, would come running to me with demands for ideas, for plans, for help. It was like she knew I wanted out and she wasn't going to let me. Even when we won, she gave me this look, like if I didn't stay; I was nothing but a disappointment to her. So, I stayed. I stayed to prove to her I could. Then I stayed to prove to myself I could. And now I stay because I don't want to be anywhere else."

Sirius held up his glass and the two toasted, tossing back the liquor, slamming the glasses down on the bar.

"So what do we do?"

"Aren't you supposed to be the smart one, Moony? We stay."

"Right, but Hermione …"

"Remus, you are my best friend. Basically, and this could be the alcohol talking, the other love of my life. If I didn't have you, I don't know what I'd do."

He grinned. "Ditto, with an emphasis on the alcohol."

"Two men who have gone through everything we have, who have shared as much as we have, why shouldn't we be lucky enough to love the same woman? When you think about it, really think about, it makes perfect sense. We both can give her what she wants without worrying that we're not enough."

"There's one flaw in the plan, Padfoot."

"Seeing each other naked?"

Remus laughed. "The amount of women we've shared? We crossed that bridge a long time ago."

"So … the girl?" Sirius asked.

"And Charlie Weasley."

"Yeah, well … Hermione goes back to work in a couple weeks. Let's focus on getting her back, 100 percent back, and then we'll take care of Charlie."

"When you say 'Take care of Charlie,' you mean …"

"I'm not a violent man, Moony, but I get what I want."

"Me, too."

"So, a toast to Charlie," Sirius said, filling the glasses once more. "He's a good man, but he's not us."

"To Charlie."

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10: Chapter 10<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Characters aren't mine. **

* * *

><p>The scent of buttered popcorn filled the kitchen, a large ceramic bowl filled with kernels on the table. Ginny sat in a seat, feet propped up on the arm of her chair, absently munching a handful while she studied her friend.<p>

"So … movie night?"

"Movie night," Hermione answered.

"I didn't even know you had a telly."

"It's new. After we did the attic – don't you love it?"

"I do every single time you ask me, Hermione," Ginny answered with a grin.

"Right, well after we did that, we had to do something with the study, so Remus suggested we make that the game room – pool table, card table, and bar. Guy stuff."

Ginny nodded.

"The living room is still the living room, just less fussy. Sirius doesn't break into hives when he walks in there, so that's an improvement, but we really didn't need a parlor, so they had the idea to make it a media room. I don't know. I think Remus likes cartoons more than he'll admit."

"You mean Sirius."

Hermione smiled. "Nope, I mean Remus."

"Really?" Ginny laughed. "I don't know why, but that's perfect!"

She helped herself to another handful of popcorn.

"I love the new dining room."

"Useless space. We eat here all the time; well, when we're not scratching the door at your parents' house."

"Oh, mum loves it. Why do you think we all still have bedrooms there?"

"Oh, speaking of, we re-did Harry's room. He took most of the furnishings, but we had enough to set it up basically the same, with a few things I knew you'd like."

Ginny jumped up.

"I have a room?!"

"Well, a room with Harry but –"

Ginnny took off before Hermione could finish, leaving a trail of popcorn in her wake. Hermione laughed and followed her friend, using her wand to pick up the fallen kernels and toss them in the trash bin. Winding up the stairs, she saw Ginny standing in the doorway of Harry's old room, mouth open in delight.

"I love it!" she cried, running to the king-sized bed and jumping on it. "Screw our apartment; I want to live here!"

Rolling to her back, she studied the cream-colored walls, crimson curtains, a pair of matching armchairs near the fireplace and oversized bureau with a collection of framed photographs on top. Walking over, she saw duplicates of those on display in her apartment, plus a few others, including one with Hermione, Sirius and Remus at Hermione's graduation. Remus had his arm around Hermione, a proud smile on his face. She was grinning up at him, alternately laughing at whatever Sirius was whispering in her ear, his arm draped around her shoulder.

"They love you, you know."

Hermione looked up from straightening the bed. "Who?"

"Remus and Sirius."

"I know."

"No, you don't. They _love _you."

Hermione scoffed. "You're mad."

"Am I?" Ginny spun in a circle. "Look at this room! Look at this house! Sirius Black, the man who only cares about himself, renovated his entire house, a house he hates, to make sure you didn't move away."

"He has to live here, too. And Remus."

"Exactly. Remus. Do you see the way that man looks at you, like the sun rises and sets in your eyes?"

"What?" Hermione laughed. "You have got to stop reading those books I've lent you. They're messing with your head."

"Hermione," Ginny started, taking her friend's hands and walking her to the chairs. Pushing her in one, she sat in the other. "For someone so smart, you can be truly dense at times. Two men, two sexy, experienced, gorgeous men, are completely head over heels for you. You walk into a room, they watch you. You leave a room, they watch you. You aren't in a room, they talk about you. Think about the last three weeks, this whole choose-your-own-adventure thing. They are racking their brains to come up with these ideas, adventures, just to make you happy."

"I don't like heights and Sirius made me go rock climbing."

"And you ended up loving it! Admit it! You have laughed more in the last month than you have since school! Even your last year at Hogwarts, you were kind of out it, focused only on studying, cut off from everything else. It's like, it's like you were so scared of losing the people you cared about that you pulled away from us completely."

Hermione's eyes filled with tears. "Ginny –"

"And that's OK! I mean, it's not OK, but I understand why you did it," Ginny reached over and took Hermione's hands in hers. "I love you so much. You are my sister and if I didn't have you, I wouldn't be happy. It has been so hard watching you try to pretend everything is OK for so long. To be the strong one so Harry and Ron had someone to lean on, but they're fine now. We all are. Now it's time for you to lean on someone."

Squeezing Hermione's hands with a wicked gleam in her eye, she let go and leaned back in her seat. "I'm just jealous that you're the lucky witch who has two, shall we say stimulating, someones to lean on. And do other stuff with."

Hermione burst out laughing, her face turning red in embarrassment. Ginny joined in, the pair of them falling out of the chairs. Each time they'd calm down, they'd make eye contact and start all over again.

Sirius watched, fascinated. He had heard a thump when he got home, followed by a shriek, so he had rushed upstairs, worried Hermione had hurt herself. Instead, she was lying on the floor, hair askew, face bright red, her arms wrapped around her waist as she struggled to find her breath.

"Ladies," he said.

Two bodies rolled to their side. Seeing Sirius, both witches started laughing again.

"You aren't product-testing for the twins, rare you?"

"No!" Hermione gasped, forcing herself to sit up and take a deep breath. "Just … it's girl stuff."

"Girl stuff. Right."

He studied Hermione, who looked back at him innocently, as did Ginny.

"Well … um, Ginny are you staying for dinner?" Sirius asked.

"No, I need to go actually."

Hopping to her feet, she helped Hermione stand.

"Thank you again for the snack and the tour and the room," Ginny said, hugging Hermione tightly. "I love you."

Walking through the door, she hugged Sirius, too, catching him by surprise. Turning around to face Hermione, she mouthed "Ohmigod" before running down to the fireplace. The rush of the floo soon followed.

"She liked her room." Sirius said.

"She did."

"If that's how she reacts for this, imagine what she'll do when Harry finally gets the guts to propose."

* * *

><p>"Has he mentioned anything?" Hermione asked later that night.<p>

She was sitting in the media room with Sirius, both of them lounging on the oversized couch. Sirius had his legs propped up on the coffee table, his left arm propped on the armrest, a beer dangling from his fingertips while Hermione sat Indian-style in the middle, the bowl of popcorn in her lap. They were waiting for Remus, who was getting the movie.

"Who?"

"Harry, about proposing."

"Not definitively," Sirius said. "Just little things here and there that make you aware he's thinking about it."

"Hmm …"

"That's a loaded 'Hmm,' love. Jealous?"

She snorted. "It would be like marrying a brother."

"I meant are you jealous about the idea of it, marriage?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, it's always something I figured I'd do, eventually, but I'm not in a rush. And it's not like there's a long line of suitors to choose from at this time in my life."

Sirius opened his mouth, then shut it again. He didn't know what he was going to say. Pick me. Pick Remus. Choose us. Let us make you happy. Shaking his head at the absurdity of it all, he took another pull from his beer.

"How long does it take to pick up a bloody movie?"

"Who said anything about picking up a movie," Remus asked, walking into the room, his coat on.

"You did," Hermione told him. "You picked movie night."

"I did, love, but not here."

Hermione looked at Sirius, confused. He shrugged his shoulders.

"What are you up to, Moony?"

"We need to leave. I suggest you both change into something warmer."

* * *

><p>"A drive-in theatre? I love it!"<p>

Hermione leaned forward in the driver's seat, practically pressing her nose to the glass as they inched along the gravel road in the Weasleys' beat-up station wagon.

"Eyes on the road, love," Sirius said from the backseat, one hand grasping the door handle. He was uncomfortable in cars. His motorcycle was one thing; it didn't have doors, so he could jump if anything went wrong. Cars, though. They were metal caskets.

Slowly driving through the gates, Hermione pulled the car into the empty lot, backing up so the three of them could watch the movie from the car's rear seat.

"I don't understand, where are the other cars?" Hermione asked, looking around.

"There aren't any. This place closed in the 80s." Remus said, opening the passenger door and getting out of the car.

"Then how are we going to watch a movie?" Hermione yelled out his open door.

Remus shut it without answering, walking to the back of the car. Sirius shrugged and got out of the car, too.

"Yeah, OK," Hermione said, getting out as well.

Standing at the back of the station wagon, Hermione and Sirius watched as Remus charmed the rear seat to increase in size so all three of them would be comfortable. Another wave of his wand and the chilly night air disappeared, as if a cloud of warmth enclosed the three of them. Gesturing for the others to take a seat, Remus mumbled an incantation and the oversized screen 20 feet in front of them lit of the sky.

"This is amazing," Hermione said, pulling the blanket Remus had packed over her legs. "What are we watching?"

"I'll put it to a vote - comedy, drama or horror."

Sirius looked at Hermione, a challenging smirk on his face.

"Your pick, love."

Hermione leaned back.

"Horror."

Seconds later, Alfred Hitchcock's _Psycho _appeared on the screen. Scooting over to make room for Remus, Hermione pressed the side of her body against Sirius, who responded by wrapping an arm around her, pulling her closer. Remus pressed against her right side, taking one of her hands in his. Hermione was so focused on the two hard bodies against hers, Sirius' fingers slowly running through her hair and Remus drawing lazy circles on her palms, that she was unable to focus on the movie, not even jumping during the infamous shower scene.

_I'm going to kill Ginny Weasley._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11: Chapter 11<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN - I own nothing of the Harry Potter world.**

* * *

><p>Hermione couldn't sleep. She wanted to, she tried, but every time she closed her eyes, she pictured Sirius's face above her own, his gray eyes boring into hers as he slid into her body, hips slowly thrusting, arms braced on either side of her, never increasing the speed no matter how much she begged, cursed. When she tried to flip over, to take over, Remus was behind her, gripping her arms in one hand, the other caressing down her body to explore the folds of her heat, his lips on her neck, licking, kissing, biting … She'd arch to give him better access and he'd move away. She'd shift to slide his fingers closer to where she needed them and he'd growl in her ear, nip the lobe, and tell her – no, warn her – to be good.<p>

"Augh!" Hermione kicked off the covers and stomped to her bathroom, turned the shower on cold and stepped under the chilling spray.

"Hermione Jean Granger, you will stay in here until you have control of yourself," she whispered.

* * *

><p>"Get control of yourself," Remus told Sirius, who was pacing the kitchen in circles. It was entertaining at first, watching his friend take out a glass for a drink, then slam the cupboard in frustration. He'd open the fridge and slam that, too. Chairs were kicked, curses mumbled, hands raked through his hair. Remus had never seen Sirius so worked up over a woman before.<p>

Good thing misery loves company.

Sliding into a chair, he folded his hands on top of the table, the perfect picture of calm. That is, if you didn't notice the tic in his jaw when he recalled how he felt Hermione's pulse jump when he'd brush his fingers over the inside of her wrist, how her breathing had hitched with each shift of their bodies. Her eyes were dark, hooded, as she forced herself to stare at the screen, but he could tell she was excited. He smelled her excitement. It took every ounce of what little control he had left not to leap on her and –

"What the hell were you thinking?" Sirius growled. "A fucking drive-in movie?"

"I was thinking she needed romance. She never got to do the first-date movie thing."

"I never did the first-date movie thing."

"Poor Padfoot. Are you feeling neglected? I swear, I was thinking of you the whole time."

"Bite me," he said without heat, dropping into the chair across from his friend. He banged his head on the table, and then left it there, breathing deeply. Suddenly, he sat up straight, a gleam in his eyes.

"She liked it, though. Did you see how fast she ran upstairs when we got home?"

"Did you smell her?"

Two identical smirks faded into two wicked grins, then two pained expressions as both men realized the long, lonely, night ahead.

"Fancy a run?" Remus asked.

Sirius sighed. "Merlin help me … yes."

* * *

><p>It was quiet the next morning, the entire house still despite the later hour as Hermione made her way downstairs. She was wearing a pair of sweatpants, socks, a long-sleeved T-shirt and an old sweatshirt, the layers doing nothing to warm her up after several freezing showers did nothing to cool her down.<p>

Shuffling into the kitchen, she stopped when she saw one of the objects of her frustration standing by the table, sipping a cup of tea, an empty bowl in front of him. She watched the tendons of his throat as he swallowed the warm liquid, shifting her focus to his fingers holding the cup, imagining them gripping her hips as she rose above him –

"REMUS JOHN LUPIN!"

The werewolf spun around, a box of cereal in his hands.

"What?!"

"What do you think you're doing?!"

"I _was _having a quiet breakfast and now I'm going to clean up the kitchen before I go –"

"And just how is putting that box away, still open, cleaning up the kitchen?"

Remus looked down at the package in his hands and flinched. The flaps were still open. He wasn't a cereal eater, usually, but every now and then he had a craving for the sweet crisps Hermione and Sirius loved. If he forgot to put the box away properly, well what was the harm, really?

Judging by Hermione's red face and narrowed eyes, a lot, apparently.

"You let Sirius yell at me about stale cereal for days!"

Oh yeah.

"You said nothing when I shouted at him!"

They did tend to drag it out.

"And all this time, it was you! YOU! The composed one! The nice one! The one who tells us to 'Calm down' and act our age!"

Leaping forward, Hermione snatched the box of cereal out of Remus' hands and ran upstairs, shouting Sirius' name.

"SIRIUS!"

Sirius groaned, burying his head in his pillows. He was having the best dream, a wicked dream, in which Hermione was moaning his name around his cock, not shouting it at his door, fists pounding against the wood. Raising his wand, he undid the locks, flopping back on a sigh when she stormed in, throwing a box of cereal on his chest.

"What the -"

"Remember our fight about leaving cereal boxes open in the pantry?"

Sirius rubbed his hands over his face, trying to clear his mind and focus on the woman, the angry woman, who was standing by his bed, fisted hands on hips.

"Um, yeah?"

"Remember how you accused me of being inconsiderate?"

Sitting up so he could lean against the headboard, Sirius took a handful of cereal out of the box and munched on it. As far as breakfasts in bed went, it wasn't bad.

"You were, love. Now fetch me some tea and I'll forgive you."

"It wasn't me!" Hermione hissed.

"I hope you honestly you didn't barge into my room at 10 a.m. on a Saturday to accuse me. Again."

"I'm not because it wasn't you."

"Finally, the girl sees reason -"

"It was Remus!"

Sirius stopped digging through the box, studying Hermione's face before turning toward Remus, who was standing in the doorway with a guilty look.

"You don't eat cereal," Sirius told him.

"Not usually, no -"

"You told me a grown man has no business eating cereal with a cartoon frog on the box."

"Right, and -"

"You sat there as we yelled at each other about a bloody box of cereal, sipping your tea as happy as you please, and then lectured us about being adults."

He shifted on his feet. "Well, the situation escalated pretty quickly, and I -"

"Oh, I'll show you a situation escalating quickly," Sirius said, throwing back the covers and getting out of bed. Grabbing a handful of cereal, he threw it at his friend.

Hermione burst out laughing at the utter ridiculousness in front of her; Remus with a dumbfounded expression on his face, several pieces of cereal sticking to his hair, and Sirius, wearing nothing but a pair of blue pajama pants, glaring at his best friend as if he had committed the greatest act of betrayal.

Two sets of eyes turned to her.

"Do you think this is funny?" Remus asked, quietly.

"A little," she replied, smirking.

"You aren't without fault, love," Sirius told her. "You accused an innocent man."

"I hardly think innocent is a word people us when they talk about Sirius Black," Hermione sniffed.

"No," he leered, slowly walking toward her. "They say clever, cunning."

Reaching out, her grabbed Hermione by the arm and pulled her to into him. Bending his head, he murmured quietly in her ear, "They said things that shouldn't be repeated in proper company, words that should only be whispered in the dark. Do you know why, love?"

Hermione shook her head, unable to tear her eyes away from Sirius, not realizing the arm he raised behind her.

"Because of this!"

Sirius shook the box of cereal, which rained over Hermione's body, sticking to her hair. Blinking sugary dust out of her eyes, she rushed toward Sirius, tackling on the bed, grabbing the box from him and, realizing it was empty, crashed it on top of his head again and again.

Laughing too hard to defend himself, Sirius called to Remus, who stepped forward, grabbed Hermione by the waist, and lifted her off his friend. Standing by Sirius' bed, her arms bracketed by her side by Remus, Hermione glared at the man sprawled in front of her, her chest heaving with indignation. Sirius smirked, but she could see something else in his eyes.

Yearning? Desire?

Taking a deep breathe, Hermione focused on the man behind her. Like Sirius, he was wearing pajama pants, but had tossed on a worn T-shirt, too. She could hear his heavy breathing in her hear, feel his need as she pressed, ever so slightly, against him.

_Isn't this interesting?_

Forcing herself to relax, Hermione schooled her features to show nothing but innocence as Remus loosened his grip. Wiggling out of his arms – and yes, she wiggled a bit more than necessary – Hermione walked around the bed to drop a casual kiss on the top of Sirius' head.

"I apologize for accusing you, darling," she said, loving the way his eyes widened at her use of the endearment.

Approaching Remus, she picked a few pieces of cereal out of his hair, then rubbed her nose against his, loving the flare of his nostrils as she wrapped her arms around him in an oh-so-casual hug.

"You owe us both a box of cereal," she breathed in his ear, nipping lightly on the lobe.

Walking out the door, Hermione felt a sense of power she hadn't experienced in years. Drawing the sweatshirt over her head, perfectly aware that doing so lifted the T-shirt she wore underneath, exposing her skin, she made one more hit.

"I'm going to shower. You boys might want to clean up this mess. We have guests coming over for game night later."

Oh yes. Game on.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12: Chapter 12<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Still own nothing; that will never change.**

* * *

><p>"Love the house, Sirius; it's amazing," Harry told his godfather as they walked downstairs, Sirius having finished giving Harry the grand tour.<p>

"Now do you feel bad for cursing me during the moving process?" Sirius asked with a wounded look.

Harry laughed.

"Don't even try it, old man. I know you too well to fall for that."

"Old man?" Sirius grabbed Harry in a headlock, dragging him down the rest of the stairs, messing up his already-messy brown hair. "The day you can take me, Mr. Potter -"

"Boys," Hermione called from the kitchen, her tone eerily similar to Molly Weasley's. "When you are finished roughhousing, could you please give me hand?"

Sirius let go immediately, a reaction that made Harry study his godfather closely. No one could ever make Sirius do anything and here he was, in his newly-renovated family home, helping his housemate with refreshments for a gathering of friends.

"Scared of Hermione, are ya?"

Sirius glared at him.

"Like you aren't."

"True enough."

Walking into the kitchen, the pair picked up the trays Hermione gestured to with one hand, not even turning around from the sink, confident in her knowledge that they would do as they were told. She told herself that's why she jumped when a pair of arms slid around her waist a minute later. Recognizing Remus' scent, she allowed herself to lean into him for a minute, smiling when he rested his chin on top of her head.

"What do you want me to do?"

Swallowing the words she wanted to say, Hermione finished charming the dishes in the sink and turned in his arms, loving the hitch in his breath as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I think that's it," she told him, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him lightly on his cheek, rubbing her own against the day-old scruff. Taking his hand, she pulled him out of the kitchen and into the game room, where Sirius was holding court behind the bar, laughing at something George said.

Harry and Ginny were at the pool table, while Fred considered the board games Hermione had stacked on the coffee table, a confused expression on his face as he read the writing on the back of Twister. Dropping Remus' hand, Hermione joined Fred on the couch while her frustrated roommate joined his friend at the bar.

"Fancy a drink, Remus?"

"And then some," he replied.

* * *

><p>When Ron arrived nearly two hours later, the twins had just lost their third game of pool to Sirius and Remus.<p>

"We give up!" Fred yelled.

"No one can beat them!" George added.

The four went back to the bar, where the twins reluctantly handed over a pile of coins. Studying the scene, a thoughtful look in his face, Ron glanced at Hermione, who was sitting at a table on the other side of the room, playing Monopoly with Harry and Ginny. Sitting on the arm of her chair, he kissed her cheek.

"Where have you been?" she asked, studying the board.

Ron cleared his throat. "Um … I ran into Angelina on my way over here and … well …"

"Ronald Weasley!" Ginny exclaimed. "Were you making time with your brother's ex-girlfriend? An older woman at that?"

He flushed slightly, but couldn't stop the grin from growing on his face.

"I'm sorry I'm late," he told Hermione.

She smiled up at him. "You're here now."

Glancing at the foursome at the bar, Ron lowered his voice.

"Have they issued the challenge yet?"

"They will," Harry whispered. "Are you in?"

"Always."

Remus studied the four on the other side of the room, his brow lifting in surprise when he couldn't hear whatever they were talking about.

"Our favorite trio, plus one, is planning something," he murmured to Sirius.

Cocking his head, not catching any of their whispered conversation, Sirius grinned, a wicked light in his eyes.

"Let's not keep them from it, shall we?"

Walking over to the table, Sirius ran a hand down Hermione's hair, leaning over to study her pile of brightly-colored paper.

"Are you winning, love?"

"She always wins," Harry grumbled, one hand on his wand under the table, where he quickly ended the silencing spell Hermione cast minutes before.

"Spoilsport," Hermione said, holding out her hand for the rest of his paper money.

"I'm not familiar with -"

"Monopoly," Ginny told him.

"How do you play?" Sirius asked.

"It's a real estate game," Hermione summarized. "The person with the most money and the most property wins."

Sirius shook his head suddenly. "Sorry, love, I dozed off for a minute."

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"I'm sure you're great at it, but it sounds like a dreadfully boring game."

"Oh, it can be," Ron said. "Of course, playing most games with Hermione are boring because she always wins."

"Not always," Hermione said.

"Most of the time," he shot back. "And the ones you can't win, like Wizard's Chess and pool, you refuse to play."

"Wait, hold on. Is that why you've refused to play pool? You aren't good at it?"

"No, I -"

"Hey, Moony!" Sirius called.

"What?"

"Has Hermione taken you up on your offer to play a round of pool?"

"No. She said it was uncouth, better suited at a pub than a person's home."

Nodding slowly, Sirius studied his witch, who focused on the game board, avoiding his eyes.

"Wanna play?" he asked.

"Not really, no," she said.

"Scared?"

"No."

He leaned closer, his breath warm in his ear, as he whispered "I think you are. I think you're afraid to not be perfect at something, that the idea of not being the best is so alarming, you make excuses not to try."

Hermione pushed her chair back and stood up, hazel eyes flashing in anger.

"Let's go," she told him, walking to the table.

"That was too easy," Sirius murmured, following Hermione.

"It really was," Ron grinned at Harry.

They paired off, Remus and Sirius against Harry and Hermione. They set the stakes: 15 Galleons per game, best two games out of three.

"Do you want me to show you how to break, love?" Sirius asked, the smirk never leaving his face after he and Remus killed in the first game. Harry sunk three balls, but Hermione was a disaster, missing the cue ball or accidentally hitting in the wrong color. Sirius actually felt a sorry for her, especially when the twins and Ron howled at her mistakes, and made a mental note to buy her something nice with his winnings.

Right now, though, she was bent over the pool table, eyes narrowed on the white cue ball. Remus opened his mouth to give a suggestion, but Sirius nudged him in the arm and shook his head. If she wanted to be stubborn, there was nothing they could do about it.

She looked up, the concentration she had just moments before on the table now focused on Sirius. "Thank you for your kind offer, _love_, but I think I have it."

Not breaking eye contact, she brought her arm forward, the cue stick hitting the cue ball, spreading the balls around the table, three going into pockets.

"I guess we're solids, Harry," she said, lining up for another shot.

She never lost her innocent look as she walked around the table, making shot after shot. After clearing the table of solids, she started on stripes, much to the delight of the twins who cheered her on after every sunken ball.

"We got taken, Padfoot."

Watching Hermione bank a shot to sink the 8 ball, Sirius felt his heart flip in a combination of surprise, admiration, longing and pride. Yes, this is the witch for them.

"That we did, Moony. That we did."

* * *

><p>"OK, now that two of our hosts have been humiliated, I think it's time we had more liquor," George announced.<p>

Taking bottles out of his bag, he set them on the bar and Fred produced eight shot glasses.

"We held our own the last game," Sirius protested.

"That you did, mate -"

"And then it was Hermione's turn –"

"And she killed you -."

"Gobbled you up and spit you out -"

"But what a way to go!" they finished.

Pouring liquid in each shot glass, the twins gestured for everyone to take one. As soon as the glasses were in their hands, the liquid changed colors. Ron's was green, while both Harry and Ginny had pink.

"What are we drinking, boys?" Ginny asked, holding her glass up to the light.

"Don't worry, we didn't make the alcohol, but we did charm it -"

"A new little invention -"

"Quite genius, too -"

"The liquid changes depending on the strongest feeling the person has holding it."

"Ron here," George said, studying his little brother's class, "is green. That means relaxed."

Everyone stared at Ron, who blushed slightly before tossing back the drink.

"I had a nice time with Angelina," he mumbled.

Laughing, Remus picked up his glass, watching as the liquid turned purple.

"Ooh, that's impatient!" Ginny cried looking at the parchment the twins had set on the bar. "What can our mild-mannered professor be impatient about?"

Shaking his head, Remus drank the alcohol, grateful for the burn as it slid down his throat.

"Ginny, both you are Harry are feeling amorous," Fred said. "Drink up and see if you can get a better color!"

Hermione turned to Sirius to see what color he had. Like her, he had yet to touch his glass.

"Ladies first," he told her, a challenge in his eyes.

"Fine," she replied, picking up her glass. Immediately, it turned a fiery orange.

"Oh, our little Hermione is frustrated," George said.

"Very frustrated," Fred added. "The deeper the color, the stronger the feeling."

"What's on your mind, love?" Sirius asked in a quiet voice.

Throwing back the shot, Hermione placed the now empty glass on the bar with the decisive clink.

"Nothing."

"Oh, I know what it is," Fred said, coming around the bar, pulling Hermione from her chair, and swinging her into his arms. "She needs a good snogging."

Bending her back, he pressed his lips to hers. Playing along, Hermione twisted her arms around his neck, her fingers running through the tips of his hair as he nibbled on her bottom lip. Smiling slightly at the low growl that had to come from Remus, she opened her mouth slightly and Fred swept in, tasting of chocolate and alcohol. A minute later, she was back in her bar stool, a new shot in front of her.

"How do you feel now, love?" George asked.

Picking up the glass, everyone watched as it turned a bright blue.

"Ooh, sorry brother of mine. That's amused."

Everyone laughed as Hermione did the second shot, no one noticing as Sirius drank his, too – a mixture of red and black which, according to the parchment, meant carnal.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe you snogged in Snape's office!" Harry yelled at Ron, who admitted to the illicit adventure under the rules of Truth and Dare.<p>

"Who were you with?" Ginny asked from her pot on the floor, her head in Harry's lap.

Ron's eyes slid over to Hermione.

"GRANGER?!" Fred yelled.

"Well done, Ron!" George added.

Hermione shook her head, then immediately regretted the decision, as it suddenly made everything in the room spin very quickly.

"Come here, sweetheart," Remus said, putting his arm around her and pulling her closer to him on the couch, one hand gently massaging the back of her neck. She curled her feet under her and snuggled into his side. The movement caused Sirius to lift his head from her lap on a grumble, but he settled down again soon enough.

Everyone was pleasantly drunk, the twins' charmed alcohol long gone, as well as a bottle of firewhiskey and another of wine. Hermione thought of going to the kitchen for the bottle of Sober Up, but decided the floating feeling she had enjoyed for the past hour was too enjoyable to end so quickly.

"Ron," George said. "It's your turn to ask a question."

Ron rolled over on his back, his eyes glassy as he stared at the ceiling.

"Um, Hermione. Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Who was your crush first year?"

"Ron …"

"Come on. You never told us."

"How did you know she had a crush on someone?" Sirius asked. His eyes were closed, but the rest of his senses completely aware of the conversation around him.

"She was pretty sappy for a few weeks -"

"Months," Harry interrupted.

"Right, months."

"Was it me?" George asked from where he was sprawled in one of the leather armchairs by the fireplace.

"That was second year, George," Hermione said with a grin.

"Was I third year?" Fred asked from his perch on the pool table, his hands wrapped around a cue stick like it was the only thing keeping him from tipping over, which it probably was.

"You were fifth year," she joked.

"Krum was fourth year and we know I was sixth," Ron continued. "That just leaves first year."

Hermione blushed. "Fine. It was Oliver Wood."

"Wood?!" The twins said.

"Blimey, Hermione, you should have said something before he got engaged," George told her. "He had quite the thing for you."

"For years," Fred added. "He wanted us to set you up."

"Really?" Hermione sat back, a secret smile on her lips. "That would have been fun."

Everyone was quiet as the late hour made it harder for everyone to keep their eyes open. Hermione was almost asleep when she heard Sirius ask "Who was third year?"

"Hmm?"

"You just named your crushes from every year at school -"

"I was joking about Fred and George -"

"You wound us, love."

"… who was third year?"

Hermione didn't answer, but Sirius caught the quick look she shared with Ginny. Sitting up, he focused on her face.

"Who was it?"

"Hey, it's not your turn to ask a question. It's mine."

"Fine," he said, lying back down. "But this isn't over."

"Remus, truth or dare?" Hermione asked.

"I'm too tired for dare. Truth."

"Who did you sneak into your room after the Halloween party fifth year?"

Remus stood up quickly, causing Hermione to slide into the couch further and Sirius to fall on the floor.

"Fuck," he muttered.

"How did you know about that?" Remus asked.

Hermione pointed to Sirius. Everyone else was watching Remus.

Sighing, he sat on the arm of the couch.

"It was Gloria Rubin."

"AUNT PREWETT?" Every Weasley in the room yelled.

"She wasn't married to your uncle back then," Remus grumbled, walking over to the bar for a glass of water. "It was fine."

"Well, you know, except for the rule-breaking and the fact that she was two years older," Sirius said, pulling himself up to lean against the couch.

"I guess the older woman thing runs in the family, hey Ron?" Fred laughed, ignoring the finger his brother raised in response.

"Sirius, truth or dare," Remus said suddenly, desperate to change the subject.

"Dare."

"Why am I not surprised?"

Sirius smiled.

"OK, I dare you to …" he stared into space, trying to think of something, his eyes pleasantly relaxed as he focused on the dark blue paint Hermione chose for the room when it began to swirl in front of him. Did she charm the walls? That's a neat trick.

"You all right there, Moony?"

"Um … I need to take some Sober Up. I'll be back; Padfoot, you get a reprieve."

"Huh," Sirius said, watching Remus stumble out of the room. "Probably couldn't think of anything, but I can. Hermione?"

"What?" she mumbled from her face down position on the couch.

Getting to his knees, Sirius pushed her hair away from her face.

"Truth or dare."

"Hmm … truth."

"Who was your third year crush?"

She sat up, nearly banging her head on Sirius' chin. "Dare! I mean dare!"

"You can't change -"

"Double dare!" Ginny yelled. "If she changes her mind, she has to do a double dare."

"What does that mean?" Harry asked.

Ginny shrugged. "I don't know. I'm sure Sirius will think of something."

Pulling himself up to the couch, Sirius studied Hermione. She had changed so much in the last month. The empty look was gone from her eyes. Her smiles were real, and they happened more often. She was eating again and sleeping regularly. Even the nightmares that would make her wake up screaming in the middle of the night were fewer. Watching her eyes shift from worried to defiant, he decided the time had come for that brave witch he met nearly seven years ago to truly come back to life.

"When I was at Hogwarts, I had a Little Black Book -"

"Whoo hoo!" Fred yelled.

"In it was the name of every witch, and a few muggles, who enjoyed the presence of my company."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"What happened to it?" Ron asked.

"Near the end of seventh year, it was taken from me. By Filch."

Scooting closer to Hermione, Sirius took her chin in his hand, bringing her face level with his. "I want it back. Hermione Granger, I double dare you to sneak into Hogwarts and retrieve my book from Filch's office."

Hermione didn't blink.

"Fine."

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13: Chapter 13<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN - All of these characters belong to J.K. Rowling, not me.**

* * *

><p>Three things happened after Hermione agreed to Sirius' dare.<p>

Fred shouted, "Let's go!" and fell off the pool table. Ginny turned an interesting shade of green and took off for the loo. And Hermione passed out, landing heavily against Sirius, who fell back on the couch.

"Apparently, I missed something," Remus said as he surveyed the scene.

"Party's breaking up, Moony," Sirius said, struggling to get up from the couch without waking Hermione. He sort of succeeded, sliding off the couch on to the floor.

Harry pushed himself to his feet and held a hand out to Ron who, after several failed attempts, grasped it and stood up, a bit unsteady on his feet.

"I assume everyone will stay here tonight," Remus said, the effects of the glass of Sober Up coursing through his system.

Both Harry and Ron nodded.

"We appreciate your hospitality, mate," said George, who was trying his best to lift Fred off the floor.

Ron walked over to help and, together, the two of them were able to get Fred to his feet. Balancing Fred between them, both with one arm around his waist, and Fred's arms around their shoulders, they shuffled to the doorway.

"You know where you're sleeping?" Remus asked.

"I call Hermione's bed," Fred mumbled.

"We'll figure it out," Ron told him.

Harry followed them, muttering something about rescuing Ginny in the bathroom.

"How are you, Padfoot?"

Sirius looked up, wondering when Remus got so tall. He's always been tall, but Sirius was pretty sure he was a little bit taller than his friend. Was he shrinking?

"Judging by the panicked look on your face, I'm going to say not well," Remus continued, striving forward and grabbing Sirius by the arm. Pulling him into a sitting position, he handed him a glass of Sober Up.

"Drink this."

"OK," Sirius said cheerfully, swallowing the liquid in three gulps. He then promptly fell back on the floor.

"Hermione beat us in pool, Moony."

"She killed us."

"She set the whole thing up."

"She did."

"She's fucking brilliant."

"I know."

"That's 'cuz you're brilliant."

"I know that, too."

Leaving Sirius on the floor, Remus walked to the couch, swept Hermione into his arms, and walked up the stairs, flinching slightly when he heard drunken giggles as he passed by Harry and Ginny's room. Walking into Hermione's room, he moved to place her in her bed, only to find Ron face down, sound asleep.

"Shit."

Turning, he walked to his room. Hermione could have his bed, he'd take the couch. It wasn't ideal but it would work, or it would have if Fred hadn't been sleeping in his bed.

Peeking in the last guest room on the second floor, he wasn't surprised to find George lying perpendicular on the bed.

"Lost, Remus?" Sirius asked, walking down the hallway, eyes clear and fine motor skills back to normal.

"It seems our guests have taken the 'Make yourselves at home' statement at face value."

"Huh?"

"Our beds, Hermione's and mine, are spoken for."

Peeking in the open doors, Sirius laughed.

"We've no choice, Moony. We're sleeping in my room tonight."

Walking to the third floor, Sirius opened his door, relived to see it had not been claimed by a Weasley. Gesturing for Remus to walk ahead, he went into the adjoining bath while Remus laid Hermione down in the middle of the unmade bed, where she immediately curled up on her side. Shrugging out of his well-worn cardigan, Remus tossed in on the floor, shucking out of his jeans next, sliding in next to Hermione wearing only his T-shirt and boxers.

"Comfortable?" Sirius asked, walking out of the bathroom, wearing a black T-shirt and green boxers.

"What?"

"Stop looking so tense. She passed out. You're not taking advantage of her. I'm pretty sure she'd rather wake up in bed with us then her ex-boyfriend."

With that, Sirius got into bed on the other side of Hermione, extinguishing the lights with a flick of his waist. Stretching, he placed his arms behind his head, smiling when he felt Hermione shift closer, resting her head on his chest, her right arm wrapped around his waist.

* * *

><p>Hermione sat up quickly, eyes wide open, a silent scream stuck in her throat. Looking around the unfamiliar room, she reached under the pillow for her wand, her hand hitting a muscular arm instead.<p>

"What the hell?" a low voice mumbled.

"Lumos," another one said.

The bedside lamp turned on, the yellow glow making Hermione wince, but not before she noticed the gray walls, dark furniture and two familiar bodies in the bed.

"Hermione, are you OK?" Remus sat up, wrapping an arm around Hermione.

She nodded, the horrors of her dream fading. Leaning into Remus, she smiled when she felt Sirius' hand on her back, moving in soothing circles. Pulling gently on her shoulders, Remus laid back down, drawing Hermione to his side. Sighing, she curled into him, her head on his shoulder. She felt Sirius shift behind her, then felt his hand running up and down her side.

"Was it the same dream?" Remus asked.

Hermione nodded. She didn't elaborate and neither man pushed. They all had their horrors, memories or fears that took over when they were most vulnerable. They didn't happen every night and not every terror resulted in ear-splitting screams, but they were there, always waiting.

"Will they ever stop?" Hermione whispered.

Sirius sighed. "I can't answer that, love. There are nights I dream of Azkaban and wake up scared to open my eyes, afraid that when I'll do, I find myself back in that prison.

"And then there are new horrors, things that didn't even happen to me, but they haunt me just the same."

Hermione rolled over.

"Like what?"

Sirius took her right arm, pushing up the sleeve of her green dress. The scar had faded over the years, the letters spelling "MUDBLOOD" a pale white against Hermione's ivory skin. She did a glamour every morning to hide what time had yet to erase, but Sirius always knew it was there.

Hermione's eyes filled with tears at Sirius leaned forward and gently kissed each letter.

"I hate that this happened to you," he said hoarsely. "I hate that you feel the need to hide it behind clothes and magic. I hate that you rub this spot on your arm when you think we're not watching. I hate that you were alone, scared, when my cousin -"

"Sirius."

"My cousin, Remus, took her deranged hate on an innocent person. You were too young, Hermione, to go through that, and I'm sorry it happened."

Hermione nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Rolling to her back, she took Sirius hand in hers, grasping blindly for Remus' on her other side. Holding both, she stared up at the ceiling and willed herself not to cry.

"I worry I'll hurt you," Remus whispered. "I go back to that night, your third year, when I changed and I chased you, only this time I catch you and when I wake up …"

Hermione squeezed his hand tight, smiling when Sirius reached over to place his hand over both of theirs. Time passed, 10 minutes, an hour, and still they didn't move, not until a light snore came from Sirius side of the bed.

Hermione giggled softly.

"I knew he snored."

"I shared a room with him for seven years. I could have told you that."

Sitting up once more, Hermione looked down at her green dress.

"Do you think he'd mind if I raided his dresser for something more comfortable?"

"You can raid anything you want," Sirius mumbled his face in his pillow.

Climbing over Remus, Hermione opened a couple of drawers, grabbed some things and went into the bathroom. A few minutes later she was back out, wearing a red T-shirt that fell to her knees and a pair of socks. Climbing back over Remus, she snuggled into Sirius' back, wrapping her arm around his waist. He clasped her hand in his, fingers lacing. A minute later, Hermione felt Remus settle behind her, one arm around her waist, the other tangled in her hair.

"Go to sleep," he whispered.

"You need your rest," Sirius added, yawning. "You break into Hogwarts tomorrow."

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14: Chapter 14<strong>

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><p><strong>AN - I own nothing related to HP.**

* * *

><p>"Once you get through the passageway, you're going to want to take a left –"<p>

"Don't forget to put on the Invisibility Cloak first!"

"Right, Ron. Put that on, open the passageway and go left –"

"I think I know how to sneak around Hogwarts, Harry," Hermione said. "I did it plenty of times when we were students."

Harry looked up from the Marauder's Map.

"I know, but we were together –"

"Well, maybe that was our problem. Things never did go smoothly, did they?"

Harry grinned, tapping the map once with his wand. "Mischief managed," he said, folding it carefully and handing it to Hermione, who put it in her small bag, which already held Harry's Invisibility Cloak.

"Thank you for your help," Hermione told her friends. "Now, could we please get out of here?"

Here was Molly Weasley's broom closet, which the boys had dragged Hermione into soon after she arrived at the Weasley home for their weekly family dinner. Remus was still trying to wrap his head around the idea of Hermione breaking into Hogwarts while Sirius was disappointed Hermione didn't dress in black for the occasion, settling on green trousers and a cream-colored sweater instead.

"I'll have Harry's invisibility cloak, Sirius. Why will it matter what I wear?"

"I just don't think you're getting into the spirit of things, love."

Ron turned to the door, gasping when it opened, expecting his mother's suspicious face on the other side. Instead, Percy snuck in, closing the door quietly behind him. The trio backed up to make room, a shelf digging in Harry's back, Ron accidentally stepping on Hermione's foot.

"Good, I caught you," Percy said.

"Percy –"

Percy cut off his brother with an impatient wave of his hand.

"I'm not here to talk her out of it," he said. "I came to give you this."

Opening his hand, three heads peered at what he held, Hermione holding up her illuminated wand to see it better.

"Is that a rat?!" Harry asked.

"Gross," Ron added.

"It's not a rat, it's a mouse – and it's fake," Percy said.

"Um, how is that going to help me?"

"It's for Mrs. Norris. If she comes sniffing around, drop this on the ground. It's charmed to move every time a cat gets near it. I guarantee it will distract her."

"Brilliant, Percy, thank you!"

"I can't believe that blasted cat is still alive," Ron muttered.

"How did you think of this?" Hermione asked, adding the mouse to her bag of tricks.

"I am related to Fred and George."

"Did we hear our names?" George asked, poking his head into the broom closet, Fred behind him. Sneaking inside, making everyone shift even more in the already crowded space, he accidentally elbowed Harry in the head.

"Guys, is this really -"

"Hermione, we are so proud of you," Fred began.

"Thank you, but -"

"We wish we were going," George added.

"I'm sure you do, but I think the less people we have breaking into our old school at one time, the better."

"Right," the twins said. "That's why we want to give you this."

Handing her a thick parchment, Hermione opened it, four heads peering at the list scribbled in Fred's familiar scrawl.

"What is this?" Percy asked, his wand over his head to illuminate the room.

"A list of everything Filch took from us over the years," George said.

"We figured since Hermione was running this errand for Sirius -"

"She might be willing to help us, too."

"We'd be grateful, love," Fred told Hermione, kissing the top of her forehead.

"Guys, I'm breaking into my school, into the caretaker's office, searching for a black book no one has seen in decades!" she hissed. "I won't have time to tackle your shopping list, too."

"Just do your best," George told her.

Sighing, Hermione put the list in her bag, gasping when the door opened once more, Ginny squeezing inside.

"What are you all still doing here? Mom's getting suspicious."

"We were just leaving," Hermione told her, her voice barely audible because her face was smashed against Percy's back.

"Good. Dad just took Sirius and Remus into his shed, probably to show him some new muggle artifact, so we can sneak into the living room -"

Ginny broke off when the door opened once more, this time revealing a wary Molly Weasley.

"What, may I ask, are all of you doing in my broom closet?"

"You found us!" Harry shouted from the back. "Good job!"

"What?" Molly was confused.

"Its hide-and-seek," Hermione told her. "A muggle game."

"Right," Harry added. "We hide and you seek."

"Well done, mum," Fred said, kissing his mother on the cheek as he left the closet.

"Brilliant," George added, kissing her other cheek.

"I knew I got my brains from your side of the family," Percy added.

Ginny gave her a brilliant smile, while Ron flashed thumbs up.

"Hmpff," Molly said, crossing her arms and staring at the closets' final occupants, a boy and girl she loved as much as her own. "Do you really expect me to believe that nonsense?"

Leaving the closet, the both hugged her.

"Never," they whispered, joining their friends in the living room.

* * *

><p>Remus followed Arthur across the Weasley's backyard with a sense of trepidation. Things have been off all morning, from waking up with Hermione's hair in his face to having breakfast with a subdued group of Weasleys, each face paler than the next. Then there was Hermione, devising a plan to sneak into Hogwarts to steal Sirius' Little Black Book.<p>

"Are you crazy?" Remus asked Sirius.

Sirius sipped his coffee. "Probably."

When they arrived at the Weasley's for their weekly family dinner, all Remus wanted was a seat in the living room, a cup of tea, and a few minutes of blessed quiet. Instead, Hermione runs off with Harry and Ron, and Arthur is telling him and Sirius that they must see his new Rug Doctor, dragging both men out in the cold. Manners kept Remus from protesting, but he felt on the edge as he traipsed through the snow, trying to build some enthusiasm for the latest addition to Arthur's collection.

"Ron was telling us about this thing just the other day," Sirius said, ducking his head under the shed door.

Remus followed, not trusting himself to speak just yet. It was colder in the shed than it was outside.

"Yes, well, have a seat friends, have a seat, and I'll just …" Arthur looked around blankly as both Remus and Sirius pulled metal stools from underneath the workbench along one wall of the shed. Staring at them, Arthur wished for, hoped for and prayed for a distraction.

After a minute of silence, it was obvious one wasn't coming.

"So," he cleared his throat. "The fact of the matter, boys - I mean, men – no, I mean friends – is …"

He sighed.

"I didn't ask you to come out here and look at the Rug Doctor. I don't have one. I want one. Ron was quite excited about it and I can't wait to see if it's really as amazing as he says. Molly is adamant that no muggle invention can top magic, but I told her -"

"Arthur," Sirius interrupted.

"Oh, yes. Right."

Conjuring an armchair, then changing his mind and making it a throne so he could be taller than the two men watching him curiously, Arthur sat, his hands nervously rubbing his knees.

"Let me begin by saying I enjoy our friendship and will always be grateful for the help you gave the Order, and to Harry, of course. Our world has not always been fair to you Remus, nor you Sirius, and neither of you let that alter your innate kindness."

Sirius blinked in surprise. He's been called many things, but seriously doubted kind ever made the list. He looked at Remus to gauge his reaction and saw his friend watching Arthur warily.

"I also appreciate you opening your home to Harry and Hermione, Sirius. Molly and I would have loved to have them here, but I understand they needed more space and quiet than we could provide. They've both thrived, though, showing us that they made the right decision."

Sirius nodded slowly. This was all fine and good, but he got the sinking suspicion that the other shoe was going to drop. Soon.

"Harry and Hermione had to grow up faster than they should, and without their parents' guidance. They are incredible adults and I know they will live happy, productive lives."

"But?" Remus asked quietly.

Clearing his throat again, Arthur stood up and paced around the small space.

"But, it's just you and Hermione in the house now. It was fine when Harry was there, too – he loves her like a brother – but I don't think either of you look at her that way."

"Now, Arthur –" Remus began.

"No, no. Let me finish. I'm the closest thing that girl has to a father and she needs someone to speak for her. I know if I wasn't around, I'd want someone looking out for Ginny."

"Go on," Sirius said coldly.

Arthur sat again.

"Have you thought about this? I mean _really _thought about it? She's 20 years old and both of you are nearly twice that. She has her whole life to live, a whole world to explore. Will you be able to keep up with her, to let her grow into the person she's meant to be? She's a beautiful girl, of course, but there's more to a relationship that physical attraction and, um, physical needs."

Remus shifted uncomfortably in his stool.

"I don't think I need to remind you that she's experienced much more than most witches will in a lifetime. These experiences have made her strong, but they've also made her vulnerable. You can tell yourself she's mature, that she's smart, that she can accept the demands a relationship will place on her, but do you honestly believe that? Or is it what you want to believe?"

Sirius stood up, his body tense. Arthur stood up, too, but still had to look up at the man who was several inches taller.

"I don't pretend to know anything about how relationships work, Arthur. I never had one, never wanted one. For the longest time, Hermione was simply Harry's friend, like Ron. I can assure you that my feelings for her did not change until she was of age, but they did change. She may not be the girl she was and that's OK because I'm in love with the woman she's become. This is not infatuation or a yearning to feel young again. This is not even about physical desires."

Looking at the man he considered a friend, a man who has loved the same woman since he was a student, a man who has raised a family with her and fought just as valiantly to protect that family, Sirius felt his anger deflate. Slumping back on his stool, he tried to put into words how he felt, but all he could do was shrug his shoulders helplessly.

"She's the one, Arthur. I know I'm not your first choice, or even your second, third, fourth, but she's it for me."

Arthur turned to Remus. "And you?"

"I never thought I'd find someone like Hermione, Arthur. From the day I met her, she has challenged me and pushed me to go beyond what I know, what I feel. Until she was of age, my feelings for her were nothing more than admiration and friendship but, like Sirius, they changed. I don't know if she feels the same, or if she'll ever feel the same, but I'm not going to let fear stop me. If she'll have me, have us, I can promise you we will do everything we can with everything we have to make her happy."

Arthur slowly nodded.

"And if she says no?"

Both men blanched, as if they never considered Hermione would spurn their affections. Arthur had to admire them for their confidence. At the same time, he was glad to witness their vulnerability. Maybe they truly were the right men for Hermione.

"If she says no," Remus started, "then that's it. I will continue to be her friend and she will know she can always turn to me, and I will not push for more. But, if there's the tiniest chance that she would consider being mine, I'm going to take it and to hell with everything else."

"And you, Sirius?"

Sirius looked up, his gray eyes hard.

"She won't say no."

"Sirius –" Remus said.

"I mean it, Remus. I know Hermione. You know Hermione. She's for us and we're for her. It's as simple as that."

Standing once more, Arthur held out his hand to Remus, who quickly stood and shook it gratefully. He turned to Sirius and repeated the action, noting the stiffness in the man's shoulders. He was sorry to put it there, but it had to be done.

"Well," he said. "Let's go back to the house for dinner before Molly sends a search party.

The three men walked back to the house silently. Arthur stopped at the door before he opened it, turning to face Remus and Sirius.

"I know neither of you is happy with me right now and I hope, eventually, we can get back to where we were, but you must understand that I love Hermione, too. Not in the same way, of course, but she's mine and I will protect her.

"I trust you'll never forget that."

He walked inside, calling a cheerful hello to everyone.

"And all this time I thought Molly was the scary one," Sirius said.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 15: Chapter 15<strong>

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><p><strong>AN - I still don't own anything.**

* * *

><p>"Would you please back up?" Hermione hissed to Sirius, who was peeking over her shoulder.<p>

Hermione was taking down the security spells at Honeydukes, a tedious process that took focus and concentration, which was difficult to come by with a 6-foot-2 wizard at her back. Both Remus and Sirius had offered to help, but Hermione refused, saying the task was hers to complete. They were along as witnesses to the fact and that is all.

Stepping back, Sirius joined Remus, who was leaning against the opposite building in the alley, his eyes hooded as he watched Hermione work.

"Feeling the old tingle?" Sirius murmured.

"It feels good to do something bad," he replied.

Not a minute later, Hermione stepped back with a grin, opening the door and gesturing both men inside, where she quickly put up a few basic wards to protect the premises from harm.

"Why?" Sirius asked.

"I don't want anyone to break in."

"Sweetheart, what do you think we're doing?" Remus asked.

"We're just here for their storage room," Hermione answered, making her way to the back room at the secret entry that would lead her into Hogwarts.

Weaving through the shelves of candy, Remus felt the stir in his belly, the hitch in his breath that came from a grand adventure. True, this wasn't his adventure, but watching Hermione's eyes sparkle as she plotted and planned for her mission … Sirius is right. Hermione thrived on adventure.

He could use some himself.

"Right," Hermione said once they reached the storage room and uncovered the passage's entryway. "I need two minutes."

Turning on her heel, she ducked into the manager's office.

"Women," Sirius said while cracking his knuckles in anticipation. "She probably needed to use the bathroom."

Remus snorted, shifting from foot to foot with nervous energy. He could feel Sirius' excitement, too; his eagerness rolling off of him in waves. Clearly women and booze were not the way for them, but breaking-and-entering. Remus opened his mouth to share this with Sirius, but then something caught his eye and he was unable to speak at all.

"You OK, Moony?"

Turning around to see what made his friend's jaw drop open, Sirius saw Hermione, dressed head-to-toe in black, from skin-tight leather pants to a form-fitting long-sleeved T-shirt. Black heeled boots completed the outfit.

"Is this spirited enough for you, Sirius?"

He could breathe. Years of women, of chasing them, wooing them, fucking them, flew out of his head as he stared at Hermione, the perfect combination of sin and innocence.

"And then some, love."

Sending Remus a saucy wink, she ducked into the passageway, waited for both men to follow, and sealed the entrance. Following Harry's instructions in her mind, she walked the dark, winding trail, her wand in front of her as a flashlight, both men behind her. No one spoke, though two were breathing exceptionally louder than usual.

Hermione owed Ginny for her impromptu afternoon shopping trip.

Too soon in Hermione's opinion, and not soon enough in Remus', they reached the doorway to the One-Eyed Witch.

"Right," Hermione said, turning to face her partners in crime. "You wait here. I mean it, Sirius. Wait here. If I see that you've left this passage, I will make your life miserable."

"An impossible task, as you are nothing but sweetness and light every minute of every day," Sirius replied, taking Hermione's hand, gently kissing her knuckles.

Rolling her eyes, Hermione opened her bag and took out the Invisibility Cloak and Marauder's Map, grinning when she heard both men suck in their breaths.

"Do you want to do the honors?" she asked, holding out the map.

They nodded, their eyes filled with memories. Almost reverently, both men took out their wands, touched the map, and stated: "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

"We are amazing, Padfoot," Remus said, staring at the map, which now revealed every nook and cranny of Hogwarts.

Slinging his arm around Remus, Sirius could only nod, the two lost in memories while Hermione watched, her heart slowly breaking.

"Right," Sirius said, his voice somewhat raspy. "Let's get moving, shall we?"

Remus handed the map to Hermione. She reached into her bag again and removed two Galleons, two of the Galleons she won from them playing pool, actually.

"If something goes wrong, these will glow red. That happens, contact Fred and George. They'll know what to do."

"Why them?" Remus asked.

Hermione smiled. "You have your Marauders, I have mine."

Taking a deep breath, Hermione moved to open the door, then turned quickly and threw her arms around Sirius' neck.

"A kiss for good luck?"

He grinned, the sadness leaving his eyes as he bent down and gave Hermione a soft kiss on the lips. Tightening her grip, Hermione pressed herself closer.

"Is that all you've got?" she teased.

Growling, Sirius swept in, not giving her a chance to change her mind, his mouth plundering hers, tongue sweeping inside, making her forget this was supposed to be a lark, something to shake away the sorrow of the moment. Moaning, she raised to her tiptoes, desperate to get closer, her tongue dueling with his.

"Forget the dare," he whispered between kisses. "Come home with us. Please, Hermione, please come home."

She wanted to. Oh, how she wanted to, but she also wanted to do what she came here to do, to take a chance, break the rules. Sure, she's broken rules before, but there was always a greater purpose, a bigger reason. For once, she wanted to do something completely reckless for no good reason.

Pulling herself out of Sirius' arms, she smiled up at him, delighted to claim responsibility for his flushed face, his erratic breathing. She could see herself in his gray eyes; eyes that narrowed as he stepped forward, determined to kiss her again. Hermione took a step back, then another, crashing into Remus. Turning, she saw his carefully schooled expression, his eyes giving away nothing as he held out the Invisibility Cloak.

"You dropped this when you -"

Hermione didn't let him finish, leaping into his arms, forcing him to let go of the cloak and grab her, his hands gripping her bottom as she twined her legs around his body, throwing everything she had into the kiss. She licked his lips and he moaned. She bit them and she felt the groan deep in her throat. Bracing her hands on his shoulders, she moved her body up and down his hard length, gasping in delight as he spun around and pushed her against the wall, his body keeping hers pinned as he slowly ran his hands up the side of her body, barely grazing the sides of her breasts, before he cradled her head in his hands.

"Christ, Hermione. Where did you -"

She smiled, turning her head to nibble the palm of his hand. "Imagine what I could have taught you if you had stayed at Hogwarts," she whispered, unwinding her legs, setting her feet firmly on the ground. Leaning forward, she rubbed her cheek against his. "I'll see you soon," she told him.

And then she was gone.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 16: Chapter 16<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN - I own nothing associated with Harry Potter beyond the books and moves I've purchased. **

* * *

><p>Hermione stood outside Filch's office, heart pounding. She had managed to get there without incident, maneuvering the castle much easier with only one person wearing the Invisibility Cloak instead of three, although part of her missed having Harry and Ron by her side.<p>

Her feet, however, were grateful. Grace was never Ron's friend.

Studying the map, Hermione was pleased to see neither Filch nor Mrs. Norris was in the office. Pulling a pick set out of her bag, Hermione got to work picking the lock the old-fashioned way, the muggle way, knowing Filch, who was a squib, didn't have access to magical wards.

Smiling as she heard the tumble of locks give way, Hermione briefly considered sharing this skill with Sirius, then dismissed it. The last thing that man needed was more ways to access places he shouldn't be. Opening the door slowly, Hermione slid inside, locked the door, and used her wand to turn on the lights.

"Merlin," she breathed.

She didn't know what to expect from Filch's office, but it wasn't the floor-to-ceiling storage cabinets that filled the room, covering every nook and cranny, barely leaving room for a chair, footstool and, Hermione had to grin, bright pink cat pillow.

"Accio Little Black Book."

Nothing happened. She wasn't surprised, but it was worth a shot.

Walking to the cabinets, Hermione started opening them, some squeaking in protest after being dormant for decades. The information inside wasn't sorted by student, by house or by year. Flipping through the items, which ranged from parchments filled with crude drawings by students to a dog-eared muggle _Playboy_, Hermione forced herself to stop, take a deep breath, and think logically.

"You don't have all night. Think, Hermione."

* * *

><p>"What's taking her so long?"<p>

Remus looked up from his spot on the floor. Watching Sirius pace the confined space was entertaining – for the first 30 minutes. Now, sitting on the ground, back against the wall, legs up and hands resting on his knees, Remus wished he'd stop.

"It's barely been an hour."

Sirius sighed, rubbing the back of his neck in irritation. He was fine until that little stunt Hermione pulled earlier. OK, maybe the night had a bit more nostalgia than he anticipated – after all, the secret tunnel was discovered by Sirius and his fellow Marauders fourth year; it was understandable that sneaking through it with Remus would bring up memories. But he was dealing with them just fine until Hermione pressed herself against him, the small, tight body fitting perfectly against his, her lips as demanding as she made him forget – forget the pain, forget the loneliness, forget his fucking name.

"What would James say if he were here?"

Sirius looked at Remus in surprise, but his friend was focused on the coin Hermione had given him, flipping it through his fingers slowly, seemingly unaware that he had even asked the question out loud.

Sighing, he slid to the floor across from him.

"He'd wonder why we're letting some bird have all the fun."

Remus grinned.

"He'd tell us there's no way he'd wait in this passageway. He'd talk us into leaving, with some speech involving bravery and man bits."

"And we'd do it," Remus added.

"Unless Lily got involved. Then we'd all cave, James first."

Thinking of the red-haired witch who had tamed their wild friend, both men smiled, aware that Hermione had the power to do the same thing to them.

The click of the passageway had both men jumping to their feet, wands at the ready as Hermione came running in, eyes flashing.

"Run!" she cried, taking off down the passageway, not waiting to see if they listened.

She had managed to complete her mission and was halfway to the secret passage when she something had stopped her. A look at the map told her no person, nor ghost, was in her vicinity. The utter ease of the entire escapade was so great, Hermione wished, briefly, from some sort of hiccup that would force her to stop thinking and just react. That's the only explanation she had to explain why she reached into her bag and pulled out the small pile of Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-bangs she found in Filch's office. Hermione had discovered many Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes products in Filch's files; a fact she know will please twins when she shares it with them, but her thoughts weren't on Fred and George as she studied the enchanted fireworks, the spell for fire leaving her lips without thought.

Tossing the firecrackers down the hall, Hermione felt a jolt with the first explosion, almost as if she was blowing up a piece of the wall she had built around her heart. Two more pops exploded, freeing something in Hermione and she laughed, hysterically, as she pictured what Harry and Ron would say if they could see her now.

"Students! Students in the hall! Students out of bed!"

"Shit," Hermione hissed, her reverie broken as she heard Filch's cries. She raced down the hall, throwing firecrackers into any entry she could in attempt to not leave a trail. Reaching the One-Eyed Witch, Hermione opened the passageway, her pounding heart beating faster at the sight of the two men waiting for her.

"Run!" she cried.

* * *

><p>"You're telling me you deliberately set off firecrackers?" Remus asked.<p>

"I know, its madness," Hermione laughed from her perch on the pool table, eyes shining as she relived the night's exploits. "I don't even know why I did it, just that it felt right."

Sirius studied Hermione from his spot behind the bar, his pulse quickening as he took in her flushed face, sparking eyes and mischievous grin. She had taken off her boots moments after they'd arrived home, sliding them off her feet in a slow manner that did nothing to cool Sirius' blood as he steeled himself against touching her.

"And now," Hermione brought her bag forward, digging her hand inside the small purse.

"Undetectable Extension Charm?" Remus asked.

"Always," she replied, her smile triumphant when her fingers found what she was looking for.

Taking out a small black journal, Hermione hopped off the table and walked to the bar, kneeling one on of the stools as she held it out to Sirius.

"For you, Mr. Black."

Sirius took it from her, smiling at the familiarity of the object. He knew if he uttered the spell to open it, pages and pages of names would appear.

"That book was legendary during our time," Remus remarked.

"I'd expect nothing less," Hermione snickered.

Sirius leaned over the bar, took Hermione's chin in his hand, and kissed her lightly, barely a touching of his lips against hers.

"Thank you for returning this to me."

"I'm not one to step down from a challenge, Sirius."

He walked over to the fireplace, took one last look at the book and tossed it inside, feeling oddly at peace as he watched it burn.

"What are you – after all I did to get that back?!" Hermione cried.

Sirius approached her, his movement slow, predatory. Standing in front of her stool, he leaned forward, placing both of his hands on the bar, effectively trapping her.

"You want a real challenge, Hermione? Kiss me."

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 17: Chapter 17<strong>

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><p><strong>AN - Lots of smut ahead. If you are underage, do not read. Oh, I own none of the HP world.**

* * *

><p>The world stopped.<p>

Oh, Hermione knew it was still spinning. She was too much of a realist, an academic, to consider such romantic thoughts, but in that moment, as she stared at Sirius, his face set, his mouth hard, his eyes defiant, she truly believed nothing else existed except him and his demand. She didn't think, she just reacted, leaning forward to do exactly what he commanded.

His lips were warm and soft against hers. She closed her eyes as she sank into his taste, his feel. She licked his lower lip, toying with his mouth. She was unhurried, patient; content to straddle the line between innocence and heat.

Remus was not.

"You're supposed to kiss him, Hermione," the werewolf whispered in her ear, his breath warm on her neck. "Kiss him."

She slid her tongue past his parted lips and to tangle with his, gasping when he raised his hands to her breasts, flicking his thumbs across her aching buds.

"Do you want him, Hermione? Do you want him to strip the clothes from your body, to lay you down and slide inside you? Do you want me to watch? Do you want to look into my eyes as he moves inside you? Do you want to come so hard, you forget everything but how you feel? Do you want me to be there as you come down, hard and ready to drive you back up again?"

Hermione moaned, pressing her breasts into Sirius' hands, panting as his kisses softened, his mouth exploring and teasing.

"What do you want, sweetheart? All you have to do is tell us."

Hermione raised her arms, wanting to pull Sirius closer, but Remus stopped her, capturing her wrists in one hand at the same time Sirius ended the kiss, backing away.

Hermione's eyes snapped open, narrowing on Remus. His green eyes were dark, hints of amber around the edges.

"I asked you to do something, Hermione," he said in his calm way, the quiet of his voice in contrast to the tautness of his body.

"Here's what you need to know, love," Sirius said, running a hand down her arm. "We want to make love to you. We will make love to you. We will romance you and caress you and love you until you see the stars."

"We also want to fuck you," Remus said. "We want to take you against the wall, on the couch, in a chair. We want you standing up, lying down, on your knees."

"We want your sighs."

"Your screams."

"Our mouths on you."

"Your mouth on us."

"Fast."

"Slow."

"So fucking hard."

"Unbelievably soft."

"You think you know what you're getting into, don't you Miss Know-It-All?" Remus asked, brushing his hands through her curls, his fingers trailing lightly down her neck. "You think I'll be the calm one, the one who will hold you close and tell you it will be OK as Sirius pounds into you, your screams making him go harder."

He nibbled on her ear.

"I can do that," he told her, his hand moving down to her breast, her nipple pebbling at the touch. He rolled it between his thumb and finger, smiling when Hermione moaned. "I will do that. I can be gentle, but I'll also be brutal. I'll make demands, never asking, just taking. I'll take everything you give me and want more."

He brushed his lips against hers, a promise of a kiss, backing away when she tried to take it deeper.

"Can you handle that?"

Hermione opened her mouth, but before she could answer, Sirius was there, holding her face in his hands.

"I'll drive you crazy," he promised. "I will push you until you beg for release and then make you go higher. You'll cry. You'll swear. You'll threaten me and I won't care. You won't come until I let you."

He peppered her face with kisses.

"And then I'll worship you. What was hard will be sweet, what drove you crazy will bring you comfort."

"There is no one way with us," Remus told Hermione, picking up her hand, nibbling her fingers. "Everything you know, everything you think you know, that's gone. If you want to be with us, you are with us. We will give you everything, but you have to play by our rules."

Hermione tried to wrap her head around his words, to listen to what he was saying, but the roar in her head wouldn't let her. She was too far gone. She wanted them too damn much.

"Are you in?" Sirius asked.

"Are you ours?" Remus questioned.

She nodded. She couldn't do anything else.

Sirius smiled. "There's my girl," he said, leaning forward to kiss her, his tongue licking the outside of her lips before diving in to sweep her mouth. Hermione moaned, her hands gripping his shoulders. "Now, be good, and answer Remus. Tell him what you want."

He backed away, pulling her off the stool, turning her to face her former teacher. Hermione had never seen Remus look so fierce before. Gone was the aura of calm she associated with him. Instead, there was confidence, pride. He looked at her as if he knew every thought going through her mind, every secret desire.

"I want you," she whispered.

He raised one brow. "Oh, sweetheart, I know that, but I'm going to need you to be more specific. What do you want us to do to you?"

"You're an arrogant ass," she told him.

"Sometimes," he shrugged. "It doesn't change that fact that you want me, want us. There's no reason to play coy, Hermione; I can smell you from here. I can make you feel good. We can make you feel good. All you need to do is stop this senseless power play and _answer the fucking question_!"

Straightening her spine, she walked toward Remus, sliding her arms up his chest and down again. "I want you," she repeated. "I want you to take me lying down, standing up, and on my knees. I want to feel you deep in my pussy while I suck on Sirius' cock. I want to ride him while I suck yours. I want to have both of you at the same time, constantly moving so that I don't know where I end and you begin. Was that specific enough for you, _Professor_?"

He smiled. "Now, was that so hard?" Before she could answer, he lunged, sweeping her into his arms, his lips on hers in a demanding kiss, tongues dueling. "I want you," he groaned. "I want you so fucking much."

"My bedroom …"

"Later," Sirius said, taking her from Remus' arms, setting her on the pool table, her legs bracketing his waist, his cock pressing into her pussy. She gasped as his lips settled possessively over hers and she returned his kiss with everything she had. He stopped too soon, turning her head toward Remus.

"My turn," he said, angling his lips over hers in a kiss that was just as powerful, just as possessive.

Sirius mouth moved down her neck, nibbling here, biting there. Grasping the bottom of her shirt, he lifted it, stopping Remus for just a second so he could remove it from her body, both men moaning at the sight of her breasts in a black silk bra. Remus' lips returned to hers while Sirius focused on her breasts, first brushing his knuckles lightly over each nipple, then harder, chuckling when she arched her back.

"Not yet, love."

"Now …" she gasped. "Please..."

They responded by laying her back on the table, Sirius still focused on her breasts while Remus unfastened the button of her pants, sliding the zipper down and, even more slowly, pulling the leather off her legs, kissing the exposed skin as he went.

"Remus …"

He stood up, staring at the witch on the table, her curls spread out, wearing only her bra and matching panties.

"You're beautiful," he told her. "You are so fucking beautiful."

Climbing on to the table, he settled on her left side, Sirius on her right. As one, they kissed her breasts through her bra, Remus sucking while Sirius nibbled. Hermione gasped, trying to move, but their firm hands her hips kept her still.

"Take what we give you, love," Sirius said, undoing the clasp between her breasts. Pulling the cups away, he groaned, attacking her breasts while Remus kissed his way down her body. Hooking his fingers into her bikini bottoms, he tugged, pulling them down her trembling legs.

"She's so wet," he whispered, sliding a finger along her slit.

Slipping his hand between her folds, his touch light, he ignored her bucking hips as he explored, the scent of her excitement making his groan deep in his throat.

"What do you want me to do, Hermione?" he asked, voice thick with emotion. "Tell me sweetheart."

"Lick me. Oh, God … please …"

With maddening slowness, Remus drew his tongue across her clit. Hermione groaned, the knot of need in her stomach tightening with every lick.

"Please … more … harder …"

"Patience," Sirius growled, moving up to kiss her again. "You'll come when we tell you and not before."

She moaned, biting her lower lip, trying to keep the orgasm at bay.

"Good girl," he whispered, sliding his hands down her body, finding the tight little nub between her thighs. Rubbing it softly, Sirius brushed his nose against Hermione's. "Does that feel good, love? Do you love feeling my hand while Remus licks you?"

"Yes," she gasped.

"Do you want us to keep going?"

"Yes!"

"Are you sure?"

"YES!"

He chuckled, increasing his pressure slightly.

"She liked that," Remus said, his tongue lapping her pussy.

"I bet she'd like it more if you fucked her with your tongue, wouldn't you, Hermione? Do you want to feel Remus tongue-fuck you while I kiss this little button," he asked, pressing harder.

"YES! Please!"

"So polite," Remus said. Settling between her thighs, he tongued Hermione, first shallow and slow, then going deeper and harder as Hermione shifted, her hips moving up and down in a frantic rhythm. Sirius moved down, too, his tongue circling her nub, keeping pace with Remus' movement.

"Now, baby. Come now!"

She did, the top of her body coming off the table, screaming their names incoherently. Neither man stopped, their tongues riding her orgasm with her, slowing their movements only when she laid back, her body still.

Both men stood and removed their clothing. Hermione pushed herself to her elbows, taking in her first sight of their naked bodies – Remus, long and lean, the map of scars on his chest and back the only blemish on his sinewy form. Sirius, all muscle head to toe, his chest covered in tattoos.

"You are so gorgeous," she told them.

Sirius held out his hand. She took it without question, scooting to the edge of the table and into his arms. Lifting her, she automatically wrapped her legs around his waist as he walked into the kitchen, sitting in a chair so she straddled his body.

"We are going to take you together," he whispered as he kissed her. "Not tonight, but soon. Will you like that, love? Having us in every inch of you?"

She nodded frantically, her fingers combing through his dark hair as she rubbed her body against his hard cock.

"She's so ready, Moony."

"Turn her around."

Sirius lifted Hermione from his lap, turned her around and brought her back down, this time on his cock.

"Take me inside you," he whispered, groaning as she settled her pussy against the head of his shaft, slowly sliding down until he filled her. "Oh … she's so tight … so fucking tight." He started rocking, slow, shallow movements to get her body used to him. Remus stood against the counter, watching.

"Remus …"

He walked forward and his lips covered hers in a wild kiss. When he pulled away, she whimpered. "You are going to suck me as Sirius fucks you," he whispered, standing to his full height. "You are going to suck me until I come into your mouth, coating your throat." Taking his cock in his hand, he guided it to her mouth, moaning as she licked her lips in anticipation. "Now," he said, sliding inside.

Licking, sucking, Hermione focused on bring Remus pleasure while Sirius filled her pussy, his movements getting harder, going deeper. She moaned as his fingers curved to the front of her body, exploring her folds, shuddering as the need inside her built again. Forcing herself to relax, she swallowed Remus and he gasped, his hands going to her head, his grip almost painful as he fucked her mouth, his rhythm matching Sirius.

" … so good … Hermione, love, you feel so … baby, I'm close …" Sirius murmured, his fingers dancing around her clit as his breathing grew ragged.

"Do you want to come, Hermione?" Remus asked. "Do you want to let go?"

She moaned in response, licking Remus cock, which jumped in her mouth. Bringing her hands to his balls, she cupped them gently, lightly running her fingertips over them, the tightening of his fingers in her hair telling her how good that felt.

"Don't stop baby … don't stop …" he whispered. "Oh Merlin …" He shuddered, his seed filling her throat. She swallowed, as she tried to ignore the flutter in her stomach.

"Hermione …" Sirius gasped. "Baby …"

Remus stepped back, sliding out of Hermione's mouth. He smiled at her, his gaze soft, brushing her curls from her flushed forehead. Her eyes were wide, unfocused, as she tried to hold back her pleasure. It was too big, too much. She couldn't ... "You are amazing," Remus whispered. "You can let go now, sweetheart."

"Come Hermione! COME NOW!" Sirius roared, bucking his hips, spilling his seed into her channel.

She did, screaming as her body erupting into a ball of pleasure. She closed her eyea as the waves went on, her nails digging into Sirius' thighs. Breathless, she collapsed against Sirius' chest in exhaustion.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 18: Chapter 18<strong>

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><p><strong>AN You must be over age 18 to continue reading. I own nothing.**

* * *

><p>She felt the whisper of fingertips down her back, the light kiss on her shoulder. A shift of the bed and the touch became a caress, starting from her neck, slowly sliding down her body.<p>

"Mmm …"

A soft chuckle and the hand began its journey again, this time going up, gently kneading her neck. Shifting her head to give better access, she was rewarded with another gentle kiss.

"Are you going to wake up, sweetheart?" Remus whispered in her ear, nuzzling her neck.

"I think we wore her out," Sirius told him.

"That's the pot calling the kettle black," Hermione mumbled from her face-down position in Sirius' bed, trapped between the two men who kept her awake and active most of the night.

Sirius rolled over from his own sprawl, scooting over until his head close to Hermione's. She felt his warm breath on her face and forced herself to open her eyes, facing a grumpy-looking and sleep-rumpled but still gorgeous Sirius Black.

"Is that an age joke, little girl?"

She shook her head slightly, her hoarse throat and worn-out muscles proof of his virility. The bruises on her hips and shoulders were evidence of Remus' strength. Remus was now lightly kissing those marks, his lips soothing, but he didn't apologize. He had told her being with him, with Sirius, meant things could and would get rough, and that they would push Hermione outside of her comfort zone, but never deliberately hurt her.

Sirius ran his fingers through Hermione's hair, smiling when she closed her eyes again. Normally, she was the morning person, up with the sun and a million things accomplished before he even opened his eyes. "I think Remus wants you to roll over," he said, his voice soft. "I think he wants to give you a proper hello, a morning kiss, maybe even slide into your tight little pussy and ride you as I watch."

She opened her eyes again, but this time they were darker, her pupils dilated in that excited way he became familiar with last night. "Is that all you want to do?" she asked. "Watch?"

"What do you want him to do, sweetheart?" Remus asked, turning her head so she was looking at him. He had that look on his face, all strength and power, as he waited for her answer. She learned last night that specifics were required. Any attempts at being vague or coy were dealt with, sometimes with a smack to her ass, other times with the prolonging of release. Hermione honestly didn't know which one she loved more.

"I want both of you," she told him. "I want to feel both of you inside me. I want to be wrapped up in you, not able to move, not able to breathe. I just want to feel." She kissed him, sliding her tongue inside his mouth to glide over his. "Please, Remus," she murmured between kisses. "Will you please give me that?"

He growled low in his throat, his arms going around Hermione, bringing her closer as he deepened the kiss. He had no idea, none, that the witch he'd lusted after for nearly three years was so incredible, so responsive, in bed. He lost track of how many times she came last night, how many times she yelled his name as desire overtook her. "Anything you want, sweetheart," he said as he broke the kiss, running his thumbs over her cheekbones, loving her so much at this moment that he felt his heart would burst. "But you might need to talk Sirius into it."

Hermione smirked and rolled to her back, ready to sweet talk her way into getting what she wanted, but Sirius pounced, his body covering hers as he dove into her mouth. He sucked her lower lip into his mouth, his hands streaking over her naked body.

"Are you sure?" he asked, breaking the kiss to lick a trail down her neck. Hermione arched to give him better access, moaning when Remus started nibbling on her ear.

"Yes," she gasped, running her hands down his back. "Now!"

He laughed, moving further down her body to her breasts, licking circles around her nipples. "You got her broken of that silly 'not wanting to ask' habit pretty quickly, Moony. She's a demanding little witch."

"Ask and you shall receive, Padfoot," he replied, rolling to his back, bringing Hermione with him.

Placing his hands on her shoulders, he pushed gently until she sat up, his shaft settling in the apex of her thighs, her legs on either side of his body. He felt Sirius get off the bed, but his focus was on the woman in front of him. "Have you done this before?" he asked, rubbing his hands up and down her thighs in a soothing manner.

She shook her head.

"Why us, love?" Sirius asked from the foot of the bed. "Why now?"

She turned her head to look at him.

"Why me?" she countered.

Remus sat up quickly, gripping Hermione's shoulders, his eyes boring into hers.

"We want you because you're ours," he told her, his voice scarily fierce. "You said so last night and I'm going to hold you to that for the next 80 years or so."

Hermione's eyes widened. She hadn't considered that this, whatever _this _was, went beyond a fling, She harbored a secret crush on both men when she was younger, but never considered they'd see her as more than Harry's friend and, later, housemate. The parade of women Sirius brought home, the mornings he and Remus would floo in from who-knows-where, smelling of perfume – she wasn't stupid. Things that were said in the heat of the moment - they were just words; they didn't mean anything. Or do they?

Not trusting herself to speak, she leaned forward, resting her head against Remus. "Wanna know a secret?" she asked after a minute.

"Yes."

"You were my third year crush."

Leaning back, she pushed his brown hair off his forehead, giggling at the shocked expression on his face. "Really, Remus, after everything you did to me last night, the fact that I had a crush on when I was 13 you renders you speechless?" She leaned forward again, rubbing her cheek against his, a little habit she of hers that that never failed to move him. "You were so intelligent, so gifted, so knowledgeable," she murmured, kissing his cheek, working down to his chin. "And you were so sad. You had this vulnerability that made me want to save you." She nibbled on his chin, then licked away the bite, loving the feel of his hands on her thighs tighten as she worked her way to the other side of his face.

"Hermione …" he whispered.

He took her face in his hands and kissed her, pouring everything he had, everything he was, into it, taking her with him as he leaned back, slowly lifting his hips to prod her heat.

Pushing aside the brief stab of jealousy at Hermione's whispered confession, Sirius climbed on the bed, balancing on his knees, as he reached to touch Hermione, dipping his fingers in her folds, spreading the moistness around. "You are so wet, so hot," he said, licking his way down her spine. "I want you like this always; wet, willing and ready for us."

She moaned, moving against his hand. "… feels so good … Sirius … please …"

"She's ready, Moony."

Sliding his hands down her body, Remus gripped Hermione's hips, settling her over his shaft, his eyes closing in satisfaction as she lowered herself, taking him deep inside. "Fuck, yeah," he sighed, slowly thrusting his hips.

Sirius gathered more of her heat, moving his fingers to her backside, rubbing his finger around her rim before sliding one inside. He felt Hermione tense and eased out a little. "Relax, love," he soothed. "I'll take care of you."

"Come down to me," Remus whispered.

Hermione leaned forward, kissing Remus, and putting more of her gorgeous backside on display. Sirius circled her rim again, then pushed in two fingers, smiling in satisfaction when Hermione whimpered in pleasure, not pain. "How do you feel, love," he asked, slowly moving his fingers in and out. "Do you want more?"

" … yes …"

Remus slid out, smirking at Hermione's gasp of protest. "It's just for a minute, sweetheart. Sirius wants to play, too."

He moved his fingers down to get sex, his fingers playing with her nub, rubbing it softly but consistently. Hermione was so focused on Remus, on how incredible his fingers were, that she didn't feel Sirius prod her opening until he was nearly in.

"Sirius!"

"It's OK, love. Relax. Just relax," he said in soothing tones, one hand rubbing the tension from his shoulder, the other balancing on the bed, waiting for her consent to continue. "Whenever you're ready."

She took a deep breath, Remus' fingers never stopping. She felt the fluttering in her stomach, that familiar feeling these men are so good at building.

"Do it," she gasped. "Now!"

He didn't hesitate, pushing forward, stretching her with his huge cock. She held her breath, hitching her breath at the quick bite of pain, then sighing as pleasure took over. "OK, love?"

She nodded, groaning as he slowly moved out and back in, going deeper each time. Remus was watching her, jaw tense, eyes practically glowing as his fingers worked harder, pressing on to her nub.

"Baby?" he rasped.

She couldn't speak, she could only nod, whimpering as he removed her fingers, then crying out as his cock surged inside her.

They held themselves still, three breaths panting heavily. It was almost overwhelming, the sensation of feeling both Remus and Sirius inside her.

"Breathe, baby," Remus said. "Relax and breathe."

She did and the two of them began to move, slow, shallow movements to help her get used to the pressure, going a little deeper each time. Hermione felt herself growing looser, her limbs going limp as she focused on the decadence of the moment. "More," she heard herself say, kissing Remus. "Harder."

They complied, Sirius pushing in when Remus would pull out, a rhythm that left Hermione full at all times.

"Baby, you are so tight, so fucking tight," Sirius said. Grabbing a handful of her hair, he twisted it around his fist, bringing her head back so he could feast on her lips.

"You feel so good," Remus added, his fingers digging into her hips, hissing as her nails dug into his shoulders.

"Are you close, baby?" Sirius asked against her lips.

She nodded frantically, unable to talk. She was feeling too much, more than she ever felt before. This couldn't last, it couldn't. She would die.

"Come with me," Remus said, jackknifing his hips to pound into her harder. "Now, Hermione. Come now!"

She did, her body convulsing, the shock of her orgasm making it hard to breath. Her anal muscles tightened around Sirius, making him growl in appreciation. Remus gave one more thrust, yelling his release, Sirius shouting his own a moment later.

Hermione collapsed onto Remus, completely spent. She felt his heart pound against her chest as she tried to catch her breath. Sirius slumped against her back, planting little kisses on her shoulder, the back of her neck. "Fuck," he sighed, rolling off of her and to his back on the bed. "You are going to be the death of me."

She smiled, but was too weak to respond. Remus ran his hands down her back, too spent to put into words how much he loved her. Closing his eyes on a sigh, he told himself there would be time for that soon enough because he meant what he said.

She was theirs.

"HERMIONE!"

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 19: Chapter 19<strong>

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><p><strong>AN - I own nothing. **

* * *

><p>"Shit!" Hermione jumped out of bed, eyes wide, as she looked around the room in panic.<p>

"HERMIONE!"

"Oh no, oh no, oh no."

Sirius pushed himself to a sitting position against his headboard, an amused smile on his face as he watched Hermione tear open his wardrobe, grabbing a T-shirt and a pair of boxers.

"Love, is there a reason Fred Weasley is in our house, calling your name at 8 in the morning?"

"HERMIONE!"

"And now George," Remus groaned, raising his arm to cover his eyes. "Great."

"When I spoke to Ron last night, I mentioned I picked up something of the twins' at Hogwarts and told them to stop by to get it today," Hermione said, pulling on the clothes, not realizing the shirt was backwards. "They're going to come and look for me and I'm not in my room! I'm not in my room!"

"Hermione, sweetheart, calm down –"

"Don't you tell me to call down, Remus Lupin! Do you realize what this looks like, what _I_ look like?"

"A woman who has been thoroughly shagged?" Sirius grinned.

She glared at him.

"Sweetheart, I was just going to point out that you're a witch," Remus said calmly.

She looked at him blankly.

"You can apparate," he added.

Her face lit up.

"That's right! You are brilliant, Remus; brilliant!"

And she disappeared.

Sirius looked over at Remus.

"Should we go downstairs, play interference if things get uncomfortable?"

"She'll be fine."

"OK. How about we go downstairs and make things uncomfortable?"

Remus smiled.

"You are brilliant, Padfoot; brilliant."

* * *

><p>There was no time to change once she got to her room, so Hermione performed a quick cleaning spell and pulled her hair into a messy bun. She was just putting on her robe when the pounding started on her door.<p>

"I'm coming!" she called, opening it to find two smiling Weasleys on the other side.

"Morning, love," they said, each swooping in for a kiss on the cheek.

"Sorry to apparently drag you out of bed on this fine morning –"

"But some of us need to work today –"

"So if you could show us what we came to see –"

"We'd be grateful."

Laughing, Hermione pushed herself between the wall the twins made at her door and headed for the stairs.

"Fine, fine," she said over her shoulder, missing the smirk the pair shared. "Let me put the kettle on for tea and I'll get it."

She forced herself not to look in the game room on her way to kitchen, afraid to call attention to the debauchery that happened there just hours before. Unfortunately, when she walked into the kitchen, her eyes were drawn to the chair Sirius sat in the first time he surged into her body.

"Have a seat – NOT THERE!"

George looked startled, his body freezing just inches from where Hermione saw stars last night.

"Uh, long story. Sit somewhere else."

He did, exchanging another look with his brother as he did so. Hermione busied herself with filling the kettle and getting cups down for tea, taking deep breaths to calm down her pounding heart.

"Good morning Fred, George," Sirius said, walking into the kitchen and taking a seat – _the seat_. "Good morning, Hermione."

"Sirius," she replied, not looking at him. "Um, the kettle just went on. I've got to grab something from the other room."

She rushed out just as twins asked how well Hermione did last night. She groaned when he laughed.

"Everything OK?"

Hermione looked at Remus standing at the bottom of the stares, wearing navy sweatpants and a gray T-shirt.

"No, everything is not OK. We have guests in the kitchen and this whole house smells like a brothel!" she hissed.

"Not the whole house, sweetheart," Remus said in a soothing tone. "Just the game room, the kitchen, Sirius' room – oh, and the second floor landing, although that was more of a case of clumsy feet than unbridled passion, but you did manage to find the silver lining when you –"

"Stop it!" she whispered fiercely. "Go in the kitchen and make sure Sirius is behaving himself."

"Yes, dear."

Groaning, Hermione walked in the game room, looking for her bag, her cheeks coloring at the site of clothing strewn about the room. With a flick of her wand, she banished the evidence to everyone's room, then picked up her bag and walked to the kitchen just in time to hear Sirius call her amazing.

"She really is quite extraordinary," he said, winking as she made her way to the whistling kettle. "All those years of being good; who could have guessed the wildness that lurks underneath?"

"Not I," Remus said.

Realizing the best course of action was to get the twins out of Grimmauld Place as soon as possible, Hermione decided to forget the tea. Instead, she walked to the table, pulling three small boxes out of her purse. She set them in front of the twins.

"Um …" George looked down, confused.

"They're really pretty, Hermione," Fred said kindly. "But I think little boxes are more Ginny's thing than ours."

Rolling her eyes, Hermione took out her wand and made one of the boxes its normal size which took up about half of the table. The twins' eyes grew round as they opened the lid.

"Hey, here's the original recipe for Fever Fudge."

"And our prototype for Extendable Ears."

"Look at this, George; our first detention slip!"

"Save that for Mum so she can frame it."

Remus tugged Hermione's arm so she was sitting in a chair between him and Sirius. For a few minutes, the three watched as the twins plowed through the box, smiling at their delight in the lost treasures.

"That should be everything," Hermione told them. "I couldn't find anything else that tied to the two of you, although there were a lot of your products filling the shelves."

"Aw, music to a businessman's ears," George said.

"We make it, they buy it, it gets taken away, they buy some more," Fred said. "We should make Filch a partner."

"He should get something for his thoroughness," George agreed.

Glancing at the clock, they started putting things away, albeit reluctantly.

"You are amazing, Hermione," Fred said, shrinking the box and placing it in his pocket. George pocketed the other two. "Come to Diagon Alley this afternoon and we'll take you to lunch."

Hermione opened her mouth to accept, but Sirius interrupted.

"Sorry, boys. She already has plans."

Hermione turned to glare at him, but stopped when Remus placed his hand on her leg, sliding up and under her robe, gently probing her sex.

"All right; how about dinner?"

"Um …"

"Dinner's covered too, unfortunately," Remus said, his voice calm has his hand moved higher, touched harder.

"Tomorrow night?" Hermione asked, looking at Sirius and Remus, who nodded slightly before turning to Fred and George.

"Perfect! Thanks, love!"

They walked into the fireplace and were gone.

"How dare you?!" Hermione fumed, pushing Remus' hand away and standing up. "Just because we're sleeping together does not give you the right to tell me what to do!"

"We're not telling you what to do, love. You already had plans."

"No, I didn't! This is my last week of vacation and I have nothing scheduled! No appointments, no chores, no to-do list –"

"Ah, see that's where you're wrong," Remus said, catching Hermione by her belt robe, pulling her into his lap. "Last night, you said you wanted us to take you lying down, standing up, and on your knees. We've only hit one of those so far."

"We had you together, and you rode me and sucked Remus' cock, but I still need to have the pleasure of your mouth," Sirius reminded her.

"You see, sweetheart, we were only thinking of you," Remus said, nuzzling her neck, untying her robe and sliding it off her shoulders. He placed his hand on her stomach, slowly sliding it up her body to cup her breast.

"Make sure to disconnect the floo," she whispered before pulling his head down for a kiss.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 20: Chapter 20<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN - I own nothing. (It is so boring to write this over and over again; also, not good for the ego.)**

* * *

><p>Harry dragged himself into Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes, feeling very much like the garden gnome being hit over the head by a shovel the twins had on display in their window. He and Ron had finished a mandatory auror training session for new recruits, meaning seasoned staff was privy to a variety of accidental hexes.<p>

"Oi! What happened to you?"

Harry blinked at George, who was staring at him with wide eyes. True, his nose had yet to shrink to its normal size, but he didn't think he looked _that_ bad – or maybe he was looking at Ron, who was still sporting three eyes.

"Work," Ron mumbled, bumping into a display. Despite the extra eye, he couldn't see anything. "We're here to borrow your fireplace so we can floo over to Hermione's and get fixed up before going home."

"Yeah, Ginny will freak if she sees me like this," Harry added.

"You can't go to Hermione's," George told them.

"What?"

"Why not?"

"Uh …"

"Cause we were there this morning and she was in the middle of something," Fred said, avoiding his twin brother's eyes.

"So? We'll stay out of her way," Ron said.

"Well, it's the kind of something where if they get interrupted, for any reason, um …"

"She might make you help!" George blurted out.

"Huh?" Harry asked.

"Oh, Hermione has the guys tackling another home improvement project and since you both got stuck on moving duty last time, we figured you'd rather avoid another round," George said.

"We're just looking out for you," Fred added.

"I thought they'd finished," Harry said, looking confused when the twins started snickering.

"Oh, you know Hermione," Ron told him. "Once she has her mind set on something, there's no stopping her until she sees it through."

Fred snorted. George elbowed him in the side to make him stop.

"Have you guys been product testing?" Harry asked them.

When they shook their heads, he turned to Ron.

"What now?"

"I say we go over there," Ron said. "I doubt Sirius is up for another round of whatever Hermione has in mind -"

That did it. The twins burst out laughing, tears running down their faces as they bent over the counter, unable to hold it in anymore.

"What?!" Harry yelled in exasperation.

"Nothing, mate, nothing," Fred gasped, forcing himself to calm down.

"Tell you what," George said. "Use our flat, get fixed up and then come on down to see what Hermione picked up for us last night."

Ron's eyes, all three of them, lit up. Harry just nodded. Watching the two walk through the backroom to take the stairs up to the flat, Fred and George looked at each other and smiled.

"We're bloody brilliant, Gred."

"The best there is, Forge."

* * *

><p>Hermione rolled over, her arm reaching for Sirius, sitting up when she felt cool sheets instead. Remus was sound asleep on her right, but a glance around the room showed no signs of the anigmus.<p>

Grabbing her robe tossed on the foot of the bed, Hermione slipped it on and tiptoed out of Sirius' bedroom, making her way downstairs. The kitchen was empty, as were the other rooms on the first floor. The second floor was nothing but bedrooms, so she didn't bother searching there, walking up to the attic instead, where she found Sirius stretched out on the extra-long sofa, a book in his hands. She was just about to leave and give him some privacy when he sat up and waved her over.

"Can't sleep?" she asked, taking the hand he held out, lacing her fingers through his as he shook his head. He tugged, pulling her into his lap, burying his face in her neck and breathing in the scent of her. She ran her fingers through his hair, the long dark locks that would look ridiculous on other men but only enhanced Sirius' good looks, her heart breaking a little when she heard the catch in his breath, his arms tightening around her.

"Did I ever tell you about the huge crush I had on you?" she whispered.

"You had a crush on Remus," he mumbled into her neck.

"That doesn't mean I didn't have one on you, too."

He looked up.

"Was it the first time you saw me? I know I was a dog and I was dragging your best friend away from you, but I really was quite dashing."

She laughed, happy to see that arrogant smirk on his face.

"No," she said, wiggling off of his lap. When he protested, she turned her back to one end of the couch, crossed her lags, and circled her finger in the air, indicating that he should lay down with his head in her lap. Once he was settled and his eyes closed, she went back to stroking his hair and continued her story.

"I was terrified of you the first time we met."

"Fair enough. I was an escaped convict."

"Exactly. And we were stuck with you in the Whomping Willow and you were waving Harry's wand about, ranting and raving -"

"Not my greatest moment, love. Get to the part when you realized how sexy I am."

She snorted. "But then we got past all that and you became the most important person in Harry's life."

"I'm pretty sure that was you and Ron."

"No, it was you. He was so angry fifth year, so confused about what was happening, so cut off from what the Order was doing, and dealing with Umbridge … Seeing you, it soothed him. He knew you were going through your own personal hell, too, but if you could fight it, keeping moving forward for the greater good, then he could, too. Of course, seeing you duel in the Ministry … well, that sealed it for me."

He opened his eyes and winked. "Yeah? Liked what you saw?"

She leaned forward to kiss his head. "You were incredible. You saved my life."

"Consider it payback for saving mine two years earlier," he told her, smiling slightly, eyes closing again.

Trailing her fingers around his face, Hermione slowly massaged the tension from his forehead, the stiffness from his jaw. She smiled when he sighed, his body going relaxing into hers. He was so much more than what people saw. Yes, he was arrogant and a flirt. He has no respect for rules and went out of his way to buck any kind of expectations out of habit rather than a sense of right. But he was also funny, charming and incredibly loyal. When Sirius Black allowed himself to care for someone, he cared for them forever.

"So what about now?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You say we're even in the saving each other's lives department, but what about now? All of this – fixing up the house, rock climbing, bar hopping and criminal acts …"

"It was nothing."

"Don't say that," she whispered. "It was everything. I was floundering and you were my life preserver. I was beginning to think I'd never be happy, never feel happy, again. Thank you for rescuing me."

He sat up, twisted around and framed her face with his hands, kissing her lightly. "No thanks needed, love," he murmured.

* * *

><p>Remus found them on the couch the next morning, Hermione wrapped in Sirius' arms, their legs intertwined. He waited for the jealousy to set in, for the doubt that this woman could ever love him as much as he loved her, the voice that would whisper she preferred Sirius all along, but it never came.<p>

She was theirs.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 21: Chapter 21<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN - I own nothing. Smut ahead. Do not read if you are under age 18.**

* * *

><p>Hermione's head fell back on a sigh, the sound turning to a moan as Remus' hands slid up her body, cupping her breasts, his fingers plucking her nipples.<p>

"Do you like that?" he whispered, his breath warm against her ear as she shifted slightly, nudging his thigh between hers. "Do you know how many times I've pictured you in the shower, water running down your body? How many times I wanted to join you, just like this, so I could lick everywhere that's wet, especially …"

She gasped as one hand brushed against her pussy, still sensitive after waking up that morning with Sirius deep inside her from behind, both of them on their side in his large bed, one of his muscular legs between hers, one hand kneading her breasts, the other exploring her folds as he moved slowly in and out of her. He didn't say a word, his head tucked against hers, his breath warm on her neck, as he pushed, ignoring her efforts to make him move faster, deeper.

Remus watched the entire time from the other side of the bed, his head propped up on one hand, his eyes never leaving hers as he witnessed the change from sleepy to excited to anxious to pleasure.

"I love watching you come," he whispered now, his touch lingering on her pussy, moving when she rolled her hips. "I love seeing how dark your eyes get, how flushed your cheeks, the hitch in your breath as you pant. Hearing my name on your lips …"

He nipped her collarbone, biting slightly harder than usual. Hermione sucked in her breath, the feeling of his teeth on her … she didn't have the words.

"Remus …" she whispered. "I'm so wet."

"I know."

"You make me so wet."

He chuckled, softly, one hand brushing over her again, the other still plucking, twisting, and pinching her nipples. "I know."

"I need you. Now."

"You don't mean that," he said, his fingers slowly massaging the nub of nerves between her legs.

"I do! I do!"

"Oh baby, I can make you feel so good if you're patient. So, so good," he said, his tongue sliding down her neck as he removed his hand, smirking when she cried out in protest. "Imagine me on my knees in front of you, my tongue moving in and out of you, hands on your ass, keeping you still so all you can do is feel. I'll tongue you until you come, until your body can't handle anymore, and then I'll be light, my touch soft, so soft, until it starts all over again.

"Would you like that, sweetheart?" he asked, his hand brushing over her mound once more, fingers exploring until she started to pant, desperate with need, making him move them away again.

"Why won't you let me come?!" she groaned.

"I will," he said, with a growl, turning her around, kissing her fiercely. Placing his hands on her shoulder, he pressed until she dropped to her knees. "When you've earn it."

* * *

><p>Hermione was exhausted. Curled up in a ball on her bed, her legs were still shaking from the orgasms Remus gave her in the shower – one with his fingers, a second with his tongue and a third with his cock, swallowing her screams as he slammed her into the wall and pounded.<p>

Rolling to her back, she grinned wickedly thinking of the pleasure she'd brought him, his hands gripping her head, his strong legs trembling with effort as she licked his length, her name a constant chant as he begged her to keep going and, finally, his shout when she sucked him dry.

Yeah, she made the werewolf beg. And it was amazing.

"Love?"

Hermione lifted her head to watch Sirius and Remus walk into her room, both of them dressed for the day.

"Why are you wearing coats?" she asked, pushing herself to a seated position.

"We have a few things we need to take care of. You're spending the day with Ginny, right? Then dinner with Fred and George."

She nodded, admiring Sirius in his dark jeans, dark green T-shirt and leather jacket. Remus also was wearing jeans, but paired his with a brown button-down shirt and navy overcoat.

"What?" he asked.

She smiled. "I was just thinking you both clean up well. I haven't seen you wearing much these past few days."

Sirius grabbed her by her robes lapels, bringing her face to his for a crushing kiss.

"Don't get used to it," he said. "We'll be home tonight."

Remus' goodbye was softer, a gentle kiss on her lips, one hand sliding down her damp hair in a loving caress.

"Be good," he told her.

* * *

><p>"What is that on your neck?"<p>

Hermione's hand flew to her neck, grimacing when she remembered Remus' actions in the shower.

"Um …"

Ginny's eyes flashed with excitement.

"Was it Remus? Was it Sirius? Wait; was it Charlie?"

Hermione stared at her friend, eyes wide. "How do you know about Charlie?!"

Ginny laughed, shifting her focus back on the display of nightgowns in front of her. "Please, like I haven't noticed how you are when he's in the room. The tension between you two … it's not as great as it is when you're in a room with the sexy professor and brooding bad boy, but it's up there."

Hermione took a couple steps back and sat in a chair, bringing her face-to-face with a display of pastel-colored bras, but she didn't care.

"How long have you known?"

"Until a few seconds ago, it was more of an extremely certain guess," Ginny said, holding up a red teddy, wondering if the color would clash with her hair, then deciding Harry wouldn't care.

"A guess about Charlie, or Sirius and Remus?"

Ginny dropped the teddy, her eyes wide.

"Hermione Granger, are you telling me you did _it _with Sirius and Remus?!"

"Shhh!" Hermione hissed, looking frantically around the lingerie boutique. True, they were shopping in a muggle store, but she didn't want complete strangers knowing her business, either.

Grabbing her friend's hand, Ginny pulled her into a dressing room, pushed her onto the pink velvet stool and sat at her feet. "Talk."

"I'm not talking about sex in a dressing room!"

"You have to tell me something! I tell you everything!"

"Yes, and I really wish you wouldn't. Harry is my best friend. I don't need to know how great he is at foreplay."

She smiled. "But he is amazing."

Hermione grinned, a wicked twinkle in her eye. "So is Charlie."

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU JUST SAID THAT!" Ginny gasped, throwing the silk nightgown in Hermione's face. "You are pure evil!"

She laughed, relishing the moment of complete happiness, forgetting that it was only a few weeks ago that the thought of spending an afternoon shopping with a friend was overwhelming.

"OK, OK, I'm sorry."

"You're paying for my therapy," Ginny muttered.

"How about I tell you a secret instead?"

Ginny smiled. "OK!"

"I slept with Sirius. And Remus."

"Holy shit! How was it?"

Hermione smirked. "Which time?"

"Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit. When? Where? Do they tag-team or go at once? Is Sirius is good as everyone says he is? Is Remus as thorough as you'd expect? Are the three of you a couple, well not a couple, but a thing now?"

Hermione ran her fingers through her hair. "I don't know. I don't know what we are. All I know is they are so incredible, I can't think straight. I swear I've lost brain cells. They've reduced me to nothing more than this mass of nerves."

"That is so hot."

Hermione giggled.

"I knew this was going to happen; I knew it! The twins were pretty sure, too. We should have made a bet and then I could have –"

"Fred and George know!?"

"Not _know_ know, but pretty certain."

"Oh God."

"Don't freak out. It's like Bill and I knowing about you and Charlie -"

"Bill knows about Charlie?"

"Well, yeah, he's Charlie's older brother."

"Does he know about Sirius and Remus?"

"Why would he know about them?"

Hermione dropped her head in her hands.

"Hey," Ginny joined her on the stool and gave her a one-armed hug. "It's not a big deal. No one is judging. In fact, I think we're all pretty happy with the pairings."

"That's just it – pairings. There's this thing with your bother and this other thing with Remus and Sirius."

"So?"

"So?! That's not right! I can't sleep with all three."

"But you're not. You and Charlie hook up when you see each other, but it's not a relationship. Is it?"

She shook her head.

"So don't feel bad."

"But shouldn't I say something, let him know that I don't think we can keep hooking up while I'm doing whatever it is I'm doing with Remus and Sirius?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Is that a conversation you really want to have?"

"No."

"So don't have it. Charlie rarely comes home. I doubt we won't see him again until Dad's birthday, which is two months from now. Who knows? Maybe this _thing _you have with Sirius and Remus will be over by then and you can go back to shagging Charlie."

Hermione's heart dipped at the idea of her pseudo relationship with Remus and Sirius ending in two months, but it was completely possible. Sirius didn't do long-term relationships. He didn't do relationships at all.

"You think that could happen?" she asked, an anxious expression on her face.

Ginny shrugged. "I don't know. Just have fun, Hermione. You deserve it. Have fun and don't worry about what happens next. Why rock the boat if you don't have to?"

Hermione nodded. Ginny was right. She didn't know how Remus or Sirius felt about her, she wasn't sure how she felt about them, and so if sex was all they had, she was going to make sure it was amazing.

"Let's go spend money on things we want the men in our lives to destroy the first time they see it," she told Ginny.

The tiny redhead hugged her. "Now you're talking!"

* * *

><p>"Fuck, its cold," Sirius said, trudging along the dirt road, his hands stuffed in his pockets.<p>

Remus rolled his eyes, knowing his friend will continue to complain until their reach their destination, his way of not thinking about their task ahead. Remus wasn't thrilled to be here, either, but found memories of Hermione, on her knees, her eyes on his as she took him in her mouth, were a pleasant way to pass the time.

"Hold up," Sirius said. "We're here."

The two men faced the cottage in the middle of nowhere, the weather-washed stone blending in with the winter scene that surrounded it. A puff of smoke from the fireplace and lights in the windows showed that someone was home.

Walking to the door, Sirius took a deep breath as Remus knocked, the pair waiting impatiently for the door to open, revealing a tall man in jeans, a faded flannel shirt and gray socks. He had a beer bottle in one hand and seemed unsurprised by the unexpected guests at his door.

"I wondered when this was going to happen," Charlie Weasley said, opening the door wider. "Come on in."

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 22: Chapter 22<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN - I don't own any of these characters.**

* * *

><p>"Drink?" Charlie asked, holding up his beer bottle in question.<p>

"If you wouldn't mind," Remus replied.

Charlie chuckled. "Really, Remus? You're going to play the role of polite houseguest?"

Rolling his eyes, he turned and walked to the kitchen. Remus and Sirius followed, taking a seat at the small table Charlie pointed them to. Taking two beers from the refrigerator, he joined them, the perfect picture of calm as he leaned back in his chair.

"Does she know you're here?" he asked.

"No," Sirius said.

"Are you going to tell her?"

"Yes," Remus said.

He nodded and took another sip of his beer.

"You do know if either one of you hurt her, I will kill you."

Sirius choked on his beer, coughing as he stared at the young dragon tamer in front of him who didn't blink an eye.

"That's it? We've come all this way and you're not going to fight for her?"

"Do you want to fight?"

"No, but …" he looked at Remus for help.

"Charlie," he started. "We know you and Hermione have engaged in a relationship of sorts over the years and, due to recent circumstances, we came here to tell you that your association with Hermione can be no more."

Charlie burst out laughing, effectively pissing off the two wizards at his table.

"Sorry," he said, wiping a tear from his eye. "That is just … God, Remus, no wonder she likes you. You both have the ability to take a simple situation and twist it until it is more than it is, making a tedious conversation like this necessary."

Pushing back he chair, he went and tossed his empty beer in the rubbish bin, then hopped on the kitchen counter.

"Fine. I'll play along," he said. "I don't think you can call what Hermione and I had a relationship. She came to me when she was 16 -"

Sirius jumped up and grabbed Charlie by the throat, pulling him off the counter and slamming him into the refrigerator.

"You son of a bitch!" he hollered. "You took advantage of her when she was a girl!"

"Sirius!" Remus yelled, pulling his friend back.

"I did NOT take advantage of her!" Charlie roared, his temper showing for the first time. "She came to me!"

Sirius lunged again, but Charlie was ready this time, bringing his hands to Sirius' shoulders and pushing him against the wall, leaving one arm pinned against his neck as blue eyes glared at gray.

"Charlie -"

"Shut up, Remus," Sirius snarled.

"What right do you have to come to me, uninvited, and make what I had with Hermione something to be ashamed of?" Charlie hissed at Sirius, not loosening his grip. "What kind of respect does that show her?"

He shoved away Sirius to sit at the table again, swiping his drink and finishing it in one swallow.

"She stumbled upon me one night when everyone was asleep," he said. "I was awake, preparing for a mission from the Order, and we talked. She knew she was leaving with Harry and Ron soon and she was scared. She was scared they weren't ready for what Dumbledore wanted them to do. She was scared she'd lose Harry or Ron on their journey. She was this bundle of nerves and when I hugged her, she turned to me and said she didn't want to go without experiencing why she was fighting: love.

"I'm not going to share the details, they are between Hermione and me, but I did not, and I would not, take advantage of her!"

Remus sat down. "She was only 16 and you were -"

"You want to take age differences, Remus?" Charlie asked, a glint in his eye.

Remus sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"Thank you," Charlie said.

"I hope you treated her right," Sirius growled.

Charlie lifted a brow. "Again, I'm not sharing details, but seeing as we tend to connect whenever we see each other, I'm confident in saying I didn't scar her for life. Of course, I could ask _you_ the same question. I don't have the reputation you do, Sirius."

Silence descended in the kitchen as the three men pondered what to do next. It was decided when Charlie sighed and gestured for Sirius to sit down again.

"She's not for me; I know that," he told them, running his fingers through his hair. "If you asked, she'd tell you I'm not for her, either."

"Then why, for the last four years …" Remus couldn't finish the sentence.

"Why'd we continue to sleep together?"

He nodded.

"Neither one of us wanted more. I'm all about work and she's all about survival; or she was," he said. "Being together – it was a release; she could finally let it go."

He smiled to himself, remembering how Hermione beautiful looked when she let go. She was an amazing lover, completely willing trust her partner, to let him take the reins, which Charlie needed. But there were moments when her own fierceness and need to control would take over. Studying the two men, he imagined they had yet to see that side of her, smirking slightly when he imagined how much fun she'd have twisting them around her finger more than she already has.

"Look, you want me to back off, I will. It means something that you came all this way to talk to me and, if Hermione is happy, then I'm happy for her."

Remus shared a look with Sirius who, reluctantly, stood up and held his hand out to Charlie. He stood up, too, shaking it. Remus repeated the gesture and the three finished their beers in somewhat uncomfortable silence, Charlie visibly exhaling when Remus said they had to go.

"I meant what I said earlier," Charlie said, at the door, his expression fierce. "You damn well better treat her right."

* * *

><p>"Well, that went better than expected," Remus said, shaking off his coat and hanging it on the coat stand by the front door. Sirius did respond, stomping into the kitchen.<p>

Sighing, Remus followed, unsurprised when he saw Sirius standing by the kitchen sink, a drink in his hands.

"What?" Sirius asked.

"I didn't say anything."

"You don't have to," he drained the glass and slammed it in the sink, shattering it.

"Nice," Remus said, pulling out a chair and dropping into it, exhausted. Traveling by portkey made more sense than using the floo network, but it gave him a headache. Sirius' temper didn't help.

"I'm pissed off, Moony."

"No, really?"

Sirius dropped in a chair, rubbing his face in exhaustion. "I don't know why. I _like _Charlie. I've always liked Charlie. I knew they were sleeping together, but …"

"You didn't know they had for that long? Or that soon?"

"She was just a kid."

"I seem to recall a certain animagus losing his virginity a couple of years earlier than that."

"That's different."

"No, it isn't, and I promise you if you ever tried to have this conversation with Hermione, she would hex you so hard, sex would the last thing on your mind. Ever."

"Fuck," he sighed. "She's just – she's got me twisted, Remus. I can't think straight. I know I'm not making sense and I don't care. I just want her!"

"Then go get her," Remus replied with a smirk. "She's probably back from dinner, all curled up in her bed."

His words eased something in Sirius as he pushed back his chair back to do what his friend suggested. Remus stayed in the kitchen, content to let someone else deal with Sirius' temper.

Walking up the stairs, Sirius pushed open the door to Hermione's bedroom, wondering vaguely how long the three of them would keep if the pretenses of separate quarters before doing something about it. Then his thoughts turned to something more enjoyable than living spaces.

"Lumos," he murmured, walking to her bed.

"REMUS!"

Remus jumped to his feet at Sirius' shout, running to Hermione's room.

"What?! Is she hurt?"

"She's not here," Sirius said, holding out a parchment.

_Dear Remus & Sirius,_

_Change of plans; went to a club instead of dinner. _

_Come and get me._

_Love, Hermione_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 23: Chapter 23<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN - I don't own anything associated with Harry Potter.**

* * *

><p>Hermione finished her drink, using the plastic sword that came with it to stab the cherry floating at the bottom of the martini glass, passing it over to Ron with a smile. He secretly loved the sweet drinks Hermione and Ginny ordered when their group went to a club, but he'd never hear the end of it if he ever ordered one.<p>

"Another round?" she asked.

Ginny looked up from where she was sitting on Harry's lap, snogging the Boy Who Lived as if they were in their living room and not the crowded London dance club, and nodded. Fred waved over the waitress and placed their order, winking as the stacked blond as he did.

"You know, George, we really should explore the muggle world more often," he said, eyes on the waitress' tiny black skirt as she moved to the bar.

Hermione rolled her eyes, looking around the bar in what she hoped was a casual manner; a move that did not go unnoticed by Fred and George, who shared a smirk.

"Oi! Break it up, you two!" George yelled, throwing an ice cube at Harry and Ginny. "If you're going to do that, at least have the decency to do it in a bathroom stall like civilized people."

Harry blushed, but Ginny simply wiggled off of his lap and took his hand.

"Excellent suggestion, big brother," she said, pulling Harry away.

"Ew," Ron muttered, taking another sip of his beer.

"Hey, Ron, don't look now, but there's a brunette at the bar checking you out," Fred told him.

"Where?" Ron turned around.

"I told you not to look!" Fred hissed.

"What do you suggest I do?" he asked, still trying to see who Fred was talking about.

"I was going to suggest you play it cool, but we're 20 years too late for that," he said. "Go and offer to buy her a drink. She's the tasty dish in purple at the end."

Ron spotted her, finished his beer for courage, and took off. Hermione watched, just in case he needed her help.

"What about you, Hermione?" Fred asked with a wicked grin on his face. "Need us to spot some bloke for you to toy with?"

"Sure," she replied, not really paying attention, her eyes on Ron as he spoke to the girl on the bar.

"Would Sirius say about that?" Fred asked.

"And Remus?" George added.

"You know, since you're sleeping with them," Fred reminded her.

"Oh, yeah – wait, what?" She turned to face the twins who were looking at her with knowing smiles. "Who told you?"

"You did, love."

"Just now."

Hermione groaned.

"Apparently you are quite excited about this turn of events and want to shout it from the rooftop," George said, leaning back in his chair.

"Aren't you?" Fred asked, concerned.

"Sure, I'm happy, it's just – it's not the most conventional of affairs."

Fred and George exchanged a look.

"Is it their age?"

"Or the fact they there's two of them?"

Hermione sighed, reaching over to grab Ginny's abandoned drink and finishing it in two swallows.

"It's not their age. I mean, Sirius may be a grown man, but he acts like a 12-year-old most of the time -"

"You say that like it's a bad thing," George interrupted.

" - and Remus was born an adult. They balance each other."

"And you," Fred said.

She smiled to herself, a secret grin that spoke volumes.

"So, it's plurality of the situation," George deduced.

"Nice wordplay, George!" Fred said, holding his beer up in a toast.

"We're not just a pretty face, brother mine."

Hermione watched the banter between the two, smiling when she thought about the how it would take incredibly brave women to tie themselves to the pranksters, only they never seemed too interesting in finding those women.

"Uh oh, you have that little line in your forehead you get when you're thinking about something," Fred told her.

"You don't think it's odd that I'm sleeping with two men?" she asked.

The twins shook their heads.

"Is that because you like Remus and Sirius, or because you share, too?"

George smiled. "I wondered how long it would take for you to connect the dots."

"Huh," Hermione sat back, her gaze was thoughtful.

"Do you think it's wrong?" Fred asked.

"No," Hermione answered. "When a relationship works, it works. The details don't matter, as long as everyone is treated with kindness and respect."

"I think you just solved the 'conventional' aspect of your affair," Fred told her.

"Who's having an affair?" Ron asked, rejoining the table, a slip of paper in his hands with the girl – Tracy's – phone number. He wasn't sure how he was going to contact her, but Hermione would know what to do.

George smirked at Hermione, ignoring her wide eyes and pleading face. "Dive into the deep end, love."

Hermione took a deep breath and faced Ron, the person she once imagined spending the rest of her life with, until the pair realized their chemistry was better suited for friendship than love.

"I am," she said, internally wincing as Ron's eyes grew wide.

"You are? Since when? Is it Sirius?"

"Sirius?"

"Of course! That man is crazy about you, anyone can see it."

"Are you talking about Remus?" Harry asked, sitting at the table, again pulling Ginny onto his lap. Both had satisfied smiles on his face.

"Remus?" Hermione echoed.

"I'm thrilled the two of you are finally making a go of it. It was weird at first, thinking about you hooking up with one of my dad's best friends, but you two are so much alike and we all know you haven't had the best of luck with guys your own age."

"Hey!" Ron shouted.

"Sorry, mate, but you know what I mean. Hermione needs someone older, wiser; someone who's going to challenge her."

"Yeah, like Sirius," Ron said.

Harry rolled his eyes, the image of his godfather and best friend together too absurd to even consider.

"Come off it, Ron; they'd kill each other the first week."

"Not if he's too busy shagging her," he muttered.

Hermione watched the exchange, horrifically fascinated. On one hand, she was not comfortable with her love life being a topic of conversation among her friends, which apparently it was – regularly. On the other, it helped knowing that both Ron and Harry had imagined her pairing off with one of the two remaining marauders – and seemed OK with it.

"So which one is it?" Ginny asked, an innocent expression in her face.

Hermione shifted uncomfortably in her chair as five pairs of eyes turned to her; three alit with mischief.

"Um …"

"Excuse me? Would you like to dance?"

Hermione looked up at the man who asked her the question; tall, blond, dressed in jeans and a red button-down shirt. Hermione remembered seeing him watch her when she and Ginnny were dancing earlier.

"Oh, I'm here with my friends and -"

"Hermione," Ginny leaned across the table, her voice low, eyes sparking with mischief. "It might interest you to know two gentlemen just walked in and, judging from the glares, they're not happy."

"Right." Standing, Hermione, took the man's hand. "I'd love to dance."

Sirius watched Hermione walk to the dance floor, her hand in another man's, his own reaching for his wand when the blond took his witch in his arms, his hands on her hips, her arms twined loosely around his neck.

"Careful," Remus murmured, his eyes never leaving Hermione's body, which was encased in the sexiest red dress he'd ever seen his witch wear, tight in all the right places, leaving her arms and shoulders bare. "This is a muggle club."

"We've spent half the night tracking her down, Moony. I don't give a _fuck _if we're in the middle of the Ministry; she's going to be punished for what she put us through."

Watching the blond spin Hermione, briefly catching her eye has she spun around, he felt the tension he'd be carrying for the past two hours leave his body the second he saw her smirk. Smiling mischievously, Remus grabbed Sirius by the arm and pulled him to Hermione's table.

"That's exactly what she wants, my friend. Might I suggest we have a drink and think of the best way to express our feelings about this little stunt rather than storm onto the dance floor in a jealous rage?"

"Storming's fun," Sirius muttered.

Remus shot his friend a look. "So are a lot of things."

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 24: Chapter 24<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN - I do not own Harry Potter or anything associated with the franchise. Smut ahead; must be 18 to continue reading.**

* * *

><p>She could feel their eyes watching her as she moved on the dance floor. Hard. Hot. She smiled at Ethan, a smile she hoped made up for using him to entice the two men who have joined her friends, both of whom were pretending to talk to the others, but we're clearly failing. Watching out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw Harry say something to Sirius and the man nod, but his eyes never left where she and Ethan danced, his hands sliding up her back as the song changed from slow to sensual.<p>

"Is this OK?" he leaned down to whisper in her ear.

She nodded, hoping the music made it impossible for either man to hear their conversation, which so far consisted of him talking about school – he was studying to be a solicitor – and the his dog; not exactly what she had in mind in terms of seduction, no matter how fake the situation.

"Are you all right, mate?"

Remus was sure the question was directed at him, as Sirius had grunted at Harry seconds before, but he was too busy considering curses for the young blond who kept running his hands up Hermione's back. He was initially amused by Hermione's actions this evening, but her little game of cat-and-mouse grew tiresome the more clubs he and Sirius searched. When they finally found her, it took everything he had not push her against the wall and take her.

"I'm cutting in," Sirius announced, standing up and walking to the dance floor, pulling Hermione from Ethan's arms and effectively dismissing the blond with a dark look.

"That was rude," Hermione told him.

"Fuck manners," Sirius snarled, pulling Hermione closer, his arms banding her to his hard length. "If you want someone who follows social norms, you should be screwing someone else."

Rather than take offense at his words, Hermione felt her pulse jump and allowed herself to lean on his chest for the rest of the song.

"Pay up, mate; it's Sirius," Ron said, holding his hand out to Harry.

"What?" Remus shook himself from his sentry to look at the two boys.

"Sorry, Remus; I was rooting for you," Harry said, passing a handful of coins to Ron.

"'Rooting for me?'"

"For you and Hermione," he said.

"For me and -"

"Hermione had just announced she was having an affair when her dance partner interrupted, but she never named the guy," Ginny said, her blue eyes dancing. "Ron assumed Sirius; Harry assumed you."

Remus looked at Hermione's best friends.

"And you're OK with her being with someone twice her age?"

Harry shrugged. "Like I'm stupid enough to try and tell Hermione what to do."

"If there's anyone in this world who knows what they're doing, it's her," Ron added.

Turning to watch his friend and lover on the dance floor, he had to agree with Ron. She knew exactly what she was doing, only she hadn't quite figured out that the games she played with other men was quite different than playing games with them. If she wanted to take control in the relationship, he'd let her do so – at times. And while Sirius appeared playful and carefree most of the time, the animagus had a dark side. Judging by the look in Sirius' eyes as he stared at Hermione, she was going to get close and personal with it soon.

"I appreciate the support, Harry," Remus said, standing up. "Ron, you might not want to get too attached to your winnings."

"Why?"

He didn't answer, walking through the crowded dance floor and sweeping Hermione into his arms.

"We're going home. Now."

And they were gone.

"What the hell?" Harry asked.

* * *

><p>She was torn out of Remus' arms the second they got home, Sirius kissing her fiercely, his tongue fighting with hers, before spinning her around, her chest against the wall, sliding the zipper down her dress as he kissed her neck. Hissing at the sight of her ass clad in a red lace thong, he peeled that down, too, leaving her in her red strapless bra and black stilettos.<p>

"You weren't a good girl tonight," he whispered in her ear, pushing aside the heavy curls so could nibble on her earlobe, his other hand snaking across her stomach and lower, pressing against her clit.

"Sirius …" she moaned, her head falling back on his shoulder.

He nudged her legs apart with his own, almost losing it when she pushed against his cock.

"I need you! Now!" she demanded.

He plunged into her, loving her scream as he thrust in and out, his fingers never stopping their incessant plucking. He meant to take her slow, to keep his strokes shallow until she was quivering in his arms, begging him for release, but she was so hot, so his.

"Stop," Remus said.

He did, dropping his head on her shoulder, biting his tongue to ignore her cry of protest, her shove against him. Control restored, he took a deep breath and moved again, slower.

"More," Hermione hissed. "Harder!"

He continued like he didn't hear her. When she slid her hands down her body to her pussy, determined to help herself, her grabbed her wrists in his hands, slamming them against the wall, keeping her pinned as he continued to move.

"Remus," she cried. "Touch me."

He didn't answer her, didn't move from his spot near the stairs, his expression unreadable as he watched her. For minutes, the house was quiet except for the sound of Sirius sliding in and out of Hermione, his harsh breath as he forced himself to stay in control while she whimpered.

"Say you're sorry," Sirius growled in her ears, bracketing her wrists with one hand above her head, the other gripping her hip.

"What?" she gasped.

"You want to come? Apologize."

She turned her head to glare at him, her eyes flashing. He didn't react, taking her lips fiercely as he thrust, taking his own comfort from her body, careful not to let her receive any of the pleasure. "You're the one who wanted to play, Hermione, so we're going to play," Remus said. "We'll kiss you and touch you and fuck you, but we will not let you come until you apologize for your little game."

She closed her eyes, trying to focus on Sirius, knowing is she could just wiggle her hips a little more, that sweet release that was so close would be hers, but he tightened his grip on her hips, chuckling softly in her ear, continuing his movements that were making him weak, but did nothing for her. Another minute and she heard the catch in his breath, the tightening of his stance before he let himself go, emptying himself in her, smiling at her hiss of frustration. "Are you ready to apologize?" he asked as he slid out of her, stepping back to pull on his jeans.

"I didn't do anything," Hermione said, her forehead against the wall, teeth clenched.

"Oh, really?" Sirius replied, turning her around his hands on either side of her head, nostrils flaring as he glared down at her. "You left a note saying you were going to a club, but neglected to say which one."

"You wore a dress designed to make men fall at your feet and a pair of 'fuck me' heels," Remus added.

"You manipulated some poor muggle to make us jealous, letting him paw you -"

"He didn't paw me!"

Remus was by her side immediately, his hand tangled in her hair, forcing her to look at him. "You didn't tell Harry and Ron about us," he said. "They asked who you were seeing and you went and danced with that boy instead of telling them the truth. Are you ashamed of us? Ashamed of this?"

"No! I -"

"Did you not mean it when you said you were ours," Sirius asked, grabbing her chin, forcing her to look at him, his eyes as dark as his tone of voice. "Is this some fucking game to you?"

"No!"

"Then what?" Remus growled. "What do you want?"

She looked back and forth between the two men, both looking angrier than she'd ever seen, but also hurt. She didn't want to be responsible for that, for the wounded look in Remus' eyes and the pain in Sirius', but she also didn't want to be the one to say 'I love you' first. If they didn't love her back, it would destroy her. They had the power to do that, getting to her like no one else has in years.

"What do you want!?" Remus yelled, turning away in frustration, making his way toward the front door.

Hermione shot out her hand, grabbing his arm.

"I want you! I want both of you! I want you longer than two months from now when you're tired of this fling, when I'm no longer a challenge, and you move on to the next body. I want you to love me as much as I love you, you arrogant bastards!"

Sirius stared at her, the expression on his face beyond shocked. She glared at him, her eyes flashing, and then turned that stare on Remus.

"Do you think I don't love you?" he asked her, brushing away the angry tears falling from her eyes. "Sweetheart, I ache for you. You are the first thing I think of when I wake up in the morning and the last thing I think of before I go to sleep. I look at you and I see a future. I see lazy Saturday mornings in bed, Quidditch matches where you pay more attention to the book hidden under your robes than the action above, and arguments about the cereal boxes."

Sirius nuzzled her neck. "You want to know why I had you go get that damn book?"

She sniffed. "Because you didn't think I would?"

"No, because it was the last piece of the old me. I don't want to be the man who jumps from bed-to-bed, woman-to-woman. All I want is you. I want bossy you and stubborn you and sexy you and loving you. I want the woman who refuses to wear socks in the dead of winter because she likes being barefoot, who uses up all the hot water every morning and yells at me for not picking up after myself, but never remembers to hang up her coat."

Remus took her hand. "I want the witch who is so much smarter than anyone I've ever known, but who gets flustered when trying to cook. I want the woman who sneaks to the basement the morning after a full moon with a pillow, blanket and breakfast, the woman who has never looked at me as being less than human."

"And I want your smiles and your sighs and your morning kisses. There's no one on this earth who amazes me and frustrates me and pisses me off like you."

"That's not exactly a compliment, Sirius."

"But it's the truth. I love every single part of you, Hermione Granger."

Remus pulled her from Sirius' arms, framing her face with his hands.

"I love you," he said, staring at her. "I will always love you and I am ready to spend of the rest of my life proving it to you."

"Do you believe us?" Sirius asked, wrapping his arms around her waist, his chest pressed to her back.

She nodded, too overwhelmed to speak. The three of them stood there for a minute, each one feeling more than they could express at that moment.

"I'm sorry," Hermione whispered, leaning up to rub her cheek against Remus'. Looking over her shoulder, she smiled at Sirius. "I really am."

The grin he gave her in response would make the devil blush.

"I knew you'd cave," he told her. Hoisting her over his shoulder, he started walking up the stairs, Remus following. "Now we can get to the good stuff."

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 25: Chapter 25<strong>

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><p><strong>AN - I own nothing.**

* * *

><p>She woke up slowly, stretching to ease her aching and well-used body, her movements difficult thanks to the two men curled up on either side of her body. She was lying on Remus' chest, his left arm holding her close, with Sirius curved against her back, his arm around her waist. She smiled, thinking of all they had done the night before, the number of times they had brought her to pleasure, how often she had returned the favor.<p>

Sex with the two men was always incredible, but sex coupled with declarations of love was beyond amazing.

"I can hear you thinking," Sirius grumbled, voice muffled because his face was buried in her hair. "Go to sleep."

Rolling over, she pushed him on his back, kissing him lightly on the lips before snuggling to his side, smiling when Remus shifted to spoon her from behind. She wiggled her hips a little, a movement that caused the werewolf to groan.

"You're killing me, sweetheart," he said, tightening his grip around her waist.

"Let the old man rest," Sirius mumbled, his eyes closed. "He needs it."

"I'm still four months younger than you," Remus muttered, his arm around Hermione going lax as he drifted back to sleep. Sirius was asleep moments later.

Hermione was too wound up to follow. Moving carefully so not to disturb either man, she eased her way out of their arms, climbing over Sirius to stand at the side of the bed, smirking as each automatically shifted to separate sides.

Grabbing Remus' shirt, she slid it on, buttoning it as she walked down to the kitchen for coffee.

"Morning."

"Ohmigod!" Hermione yelped, staring at Ron and Harry, who were sitting at the kitchen table. From the looks of things – two coffee cups, two empty cereal bowls and toast crumbs on the table – they had been there for a while.

"Don't you two knock?" she asked, wishing she had thought to put on underwear before coming downstairs. Remus was tall enough that his shirt hung nearly to her knees, but still.

"We were afraid we'd interrupt something," Ron smirked.

"Coffee?" Harry asked. "Toast?"

Nodding, Hermione sat at the table, absently dusting the toast crumbs into her hand, brushing them over the plate. Mumbling thank you to Harry, she sipped her coffee, avoiding her best friends' eyes.

"So …" Harry started.

"Two men," Ron said. "You always were an overachiever."

Hermione's head snapped up, ready to yell at Ron, but stopped when she saw the grin on his face.

"Are you here for a lecture?" she asked, her question for both of them, but she directed it at Harry. "Are you going to tell me this is stupid, it's wrong, and that I'm only going to get hurt?"

"No," he said.

"Are you here to judge me?"

"No."

"To yell?"

"No."

She sighed. "Then why are you here?"

"To make sure this is what you want."

In all the scenarios Hermione had pictured about this conversation, and there have been many, she never considered Ron and Harry would look at her with such … support. Their faces were sincere as they looked at her, Ron reaching over to squeeze her hand with his.

"Look," Harry said, standing up to pace around the kitchen. "This is not my first choice of relationships for you -"

"That was me," Ron grinned.

" – but if it's what you want, we're not going to stand in your way."

Sitting next to her, Harry peered at Hermione.

"Is this what you want?"

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

"Can I ask why?"

"Because I don't think I have it in me not to be with them," she replied, her voice thick with emotion. "I know it's not a traditional relationship, that people would talk even if it was just me and Sirius or me and Remus because of our ages, but I couldn't be happy with just one.

"We balance each other," she continued. "I've had more fun this past month than I have in years, thanks to Sirius. He can be so juvenile, so bloody stubborn and immature that you want to strangle him, but I need that because it keeps me from being too serious."

"Nice wordplay," Ron commented.

"And Remus … I think I keep him out of his head. The man walks like he has the world on his shoulders sometimes. I'd like to think I bring some light to his life and he, in turn, challenges me. He doesn't accept my opinions as fact, which is so annoying when I know I'm right – Stop rolling your eyes, Ron!"

He smirked and grabbed a piece of her toast. "You do realize you essentially described your relationship with them as the one you have with us?"

"I did not!"

"Really? Sirius is the immature one who needs you to make him act more adult? That would be me, although in much nicer terms. And we all know Harry gets stuck in his head all the time."

"No, I don't."

Hermione and Ron rolled their eyes.

"Well, not as much as I used to," he grumbled, swiping Hermione's last piece of toast, scowling at Ron as he munched on it.

The kitchen was quiet as Ron and Harry ate. Hermione felt the tension leave her shoulders once she realized they weren't going to make her choose between them and the other most important men in her life.

"So, is this real, then?" Harry finally asked. "It's not just a lark?"

Hermione pictured Remus' face as he whispered he loved her, his eyes soft as he kissed her, repeating it over and over, as if now that it was out, he couldn't stop. He was gentler with her last night than he had ever been, nearly worshipping as he loved her. Sirius was fiercer, his movements hard as he pounded, like he wanted to impale himself on her body, her heart. He kept asking her to repeat the words, forcing her to yell them several times before he'd let her go. She smiled, her eyes soft.

"It's real. I love them."

Harry nodded, his face thoughtful. Exchanging a look with Ron, the redhead stood up and cleared the table.

"All right, send them down," Ron said.

"What?!"

"You seriously think you are going to go into this relationship without us giving them the 'You hurt our Hermione and we'll hex your balls off' speech?"

She laughed. "You don't have a 'hex your balls off' speech."

"Yeah we do," Harry said. "You've just never given us a chance to use it."

She stopped laughing. "You're not kidding?"

They shook their heads.

"You're serious?"

"Absolutely," Harry replied.

"Harry, this is ridiculous. Sirius is your godfather; he's the closest thing you have to a father !"

He flinched. "I really am supportive of your relationship, Hermione, but I did not need that visual, OK?"

Ron topped Hermione's coffee, dropping a casual kiss on the top of her head. "Take your coffee, here's the paper and go relax while we do this."

"I don't get to be in the room?" she asked.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll hear all about it," Harry replied, pulling back her chair and gesturing for her to go, Ron giving her the thumbs up as she walked out of the kitchen.

"This isn't happening," she grumbled as she walked up the stairs to Sirius' room.

Pushing open the door, she saw Remus was awake, partially dressed, leaning against the headboard. He broke out in a smile when he saw her.

"Good morning, sweetheart."

Sirius' face was buried in his pillow, but he lifted his head slightly. "Do I smell coffee? Is this how mornings are going to start from now on?"

"Yes, there's coffee, but you need to go downstairs and get it," Hermione said, setting the coffee and paper on the nightstand.

"What? Why didn't you bring us some?" Reaching out an arm, he grabbed her, pulling until she tumbled on top of him. "I know we haven't set the rules of our relationship, love, but its common courtesy for the first one up to bring coffee to the others."

"That's an easy rule to make, Padfoot, when you're the one who sleeps until noon," Remus said dryly.

"So? I'll bring you two nightcaps," he replied, shifting so Hermione was on her back and he could unbutton her shirt, his lips exploring her skin as it was revealed.

"Sirius?" she whispered.

"Hmm?"

"We can't do this."

"Oh, but we can. I'm quite good at it."

"No, I mean we can't do this now," she said, pushing him away. Sitting up, she re-buttoned the shirt.

"Is everything OK?" Remus asked.

"Um, kind of. Harry and Ron are here, in the kitchen."

Groaning, Sirius plopped back on the bed. "What is it about our kitchen that makes everyone show up at all hours of the day?"

"Did you talk?" Remus asked, taking one Hermione's hands in his, squeezing gently.

She nodded. "We did and everything is fine. They completely support our relationship."

"Good," Sirius said. "Tell them to go home so we can support our relationship, too."

"Well, that's the thing. I talked to them, but now they want to talk to you."

He looked over, one brow raised. "You're kidding, right?"

She shook her head.

"Christ. I'm _not_ having the talk with Harry. I changed his diapers, for Merlin's sake!"

"I wouldn't lead with that," Hermione told him. "While he's completely supportive, the idea of me sleeping with his dad's best friends still freaks him out a bit."

Remus shook his head and got out of bed. Harry was exactly like Lily when it came to protecting the people he loved. If he felt he needed to have this conversation, he'd suffer through it – for Harry and Hermione, and for Lily. Stretching, he smiled when he caught Hermione staring.

"Sweetheart, I'm going to need my shirt," he said.

"Can't you stop by your room and get another one?"

"Sure, but this is a lot more fun."

Grumbling, Hermione took off his shirt, handing it over with a huff. Recognizing the gleam in his eyes, she pulled the sheet to her chest and pointed to the doorway.

"Both of you go; now!"

"You're no fun," Sirius grumbled. He pulled on a pair of sweatpants and shuffled to the door.

"Aren't you going to put on a shirt?"

"No."

"But you look all …"

"All what?" he smirked.

"Like you spent most of the night having sex."

He grinned and winked. "That I did. You, love, were amazing."

Waving, he whistled as he walked downstairs. Remus shook his head and followed, leaving his shirt unbuttoned and untucked. Hermione threw herself on the bed.

"This is going to be a disaster."

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 26: Chapter 26<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN - I own nothing of the Harry Potter universe.**

* * *

><p>Harry watched Ron trace invisible patterns on the oak table, his thoughts on anything but the conversation Hermione was having with Remus and Sirius three floors above them.<p>

"So, how are we going to do this?" Ron asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, who talks first; you or me?"

"I always assumed you."

"Me?!"

"You dated her," Harry said defensively.

"Sirius is your godfather!" Ron shot back. "And I hardly think a couple months of snogging counts as dating."

"It does if you do it in Snape's office."

Ron grinned. "That was a great night."

"So, we agree. You start because you're the ex-boyfriend."

"Hey, if we're going by that rule, Charlie should be here."

"Charlie?!" Harry exclaimed.

"Like you didn't know," Ron said, gaping when he saw his friend's shocked expression. "Wow. You really didn't know."

"When did they ….? How long did …? Where was I?"

"I don't know details, mate, but it started not long after she and I realized we were not meant to be a couple."

"When did it end?"

"They were never really together, so nothing ever started or ended. I think they were more friends with benefits."

"Does Ginny know?"

"Is there anything my sister doesn't know?"

Harry took of his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "So, you knew Hermione was hooking up with Charlie, but you never thought to give him the 'hex your balls off speech?'"

"Are you crazy? He'd hex my balls off!"

"Who's to say Remus and Sirius won't?"

"Please," Ron said, tapping his thumbs on the table. "They love you. We're fine."

"Then why are you so nervous?"

Ron put his hands in his lap. "I'm not nervous, mate."

Harry rolled his eyes.

"I hope Hermione appreciates this," Ron said after a moment. "I wasn't looking forward to this when I was sure we'd be talking to Sirius -"

"Remus," Harry interrupted.

"– but both of them? She never does things the easy way."

"Eh, it could be worse," Harry said.

"How so?"

"We could be having this conversation with Fred and George."

Ron shuddered. "I think I'd forgo the whole speech and let Hermione handle them. If she was crazy enough to get involved with those two, she'd deserve everything they'd throw at her and more."

Harry laughed, the tension of the room lifting slightly until he heard two pairs of heavy footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Shit," he whispered. "Stand up! We should be standing!"

Both jumped to their feet, Ron trying desperately to control the beating of his heart while Harry wished briefly for Ginny. She'd have no qualms giving Remus and Sirius the what for.

"Wait, who's going first again?" Ron hissed, just as Sirius and Remus entered the kitchen, the former with a sullen look on his face.

"Harry. Ron," he said, walking to the counter and pouring a cup of coffee. Harry tried not to notice the scratch marks on his godfather's back, looking away until he was seated at the head of the kitchen table. "Hermione said you wanted to talk to us."

Harry swallowed. He had never seen Sirius so cold before. Even when he escaped from Azkaban, he was so adamant at catching Peter Pettigrew that his emotions were all over the place. This morning, though, he looked like Harry like he was a stranger.

"Uh …" Harry looked at Ron.

"Out with it, boys. You drag me out of _my_ bed at 8 in the morning to talk to me in _my_ house about a woman who would never do anything without carefully considering every option first."

"Maybe so, Sirius, but we all do crazy things when we're in love," Harry said.

"So you believe we love her?" Remus asked from his seat on the opposite end of the table. "You aren't going to try to talk us into leaving her?"

Ron snickered. "Yeah, right. Then we'd have to worry about Hermione hexing our balls off."

"Look," Sirius said, rubbing his forehead, eyes closed. "I don't know what you think you're going to accomplish with this conversation. I've already had to listen to your dad tell me I'm not good enough for Hermione, Ron, not to mention your older brother threatening to kill me if I ever hurt her."

"You saw Charlie?" Ron asked.

"We went to Romania yesterday," Remus said.

"You knew about Charlie, too?" Harry turned to Remus.

"It wasn't the world's best secret, Harry," he replied, hiding his smile at Harry's look of irritation.

"What'd Charlie say?" Ron asked.

"He said Hermione was not his and that he'd back off."

"And that if we ever hurt her, he'd kill us," Sirius added.

"Damn. That makes our whole 'hex your balls off speech' pretty light in comparison," Ron told Harry.

"Could you _please _stop talking about hexing people's balls off," Sirius asked. "I'm rather attached to mine."

"Fine. So you've gotten the speech from a few people, but you haven't gotten it from us," Harry said hotly.

"Harry," Remus started.

"No. I know Mr. Weasley thinks of himself as Hermione's surrogate father and Charlie was apparently her boyfriend of sorts -"

"He was never her boyfriend," Sirius grumbled.

"– but we're her best friends. We were a family long before you two ever became part of our lives and no matter how much you love Hermione and she loves you, there are parts of her you'll never touch."

Sirius studied Harry, his mood lifting slightly as he imagined how proud James would be of his boy sticking up for his friend. Like father, like son.

"All right," he said, his voice losing its edge. "Say your piece."

"She can be a huge pain in the ass," Ron said.

"She hates being wrong," Harry said. "It could be raining outside and she'll insist it's sunny and _nothing _you say or do will make her change her mind."

"She holds grudges."

"She is the hardest person to shop for at Christmas."

"Yeah," Ron agreed. "Anything you decide to get her, she'll have already gone out and bought herself."

"Do NOT listen to her when she says a gift certificate is fine," Harry added. "She doesn't mean it."

"Yeah, try that and you're guaranteed a week of grumbling about how impersonal they are and don't you know her at all?"

"Wait, wait," Remus said. "I thought this point of this conversation was for you to lecture us about how we better be good to Hermione or else you'll -"

"Hex your balls off? Yeah," Ron supplied.

"STOP TALKING ABOUT HEXING OUR BALLS OFF!" Sirius roared.

"So why are you going on about her faults?"

"We just want you to know what you're getting into, Remus. She is not an easy person to love," Harry said.

"Come on," Remus laughed. "We've lived with her for nearly three years."

"Right. And have they been easy?"

Remus looked at Sirius who shook his head slightly.

"Well, no, but -"

"You think because the three of you are shagging on a regular basis that suddenly all those annoying quirks of hers are going to go away?" Ron asked. "Guess what. You love her. That means you'll need to learn to love them."

"Like you have?" Remus asked with a smile.

"Hey, _we _don't live with her anymore," Harry pointed out.

"But we do know her," Ron said.

"She likes one cup of coffee in the morning and tea the rest of the day," Harry said.

"She rarely wears socks and always complains about her feet being cold."

"I know that one!" Sirius cried. "Drives me crazy."

"She eats chocolate when she's happy and ice cream when she's sad," Ron continued.

"She cries on her parents' birthdays," Harry said.

"And their wedding anniversary," Ron added.

Remus looked at Sirius. Hermione never talked about her parents. He wouldn't go so far to think she didn't miss them, but he wasn't aware that she mourned for them, either.

"She's impossible to care for when she isn't feeling well," Harry said. "Be prepared to force her to go to a healer."

"Oh, and she wants kids, preferably one boy and one girl."

Sirius paled at that. "Kids?"

"She wants to travel the world," Harry said. "Her exact words were 'Watch the sun rise and set in every country.'"

Harry looked at Ron, who nodded slightly. Remus studied their silent conversation, so much like those he has with Sirius, conversations he used to have with James and, a long time ago, Peter, too. A sudden wave of grief passed over him. Looking across the table, he could tell Sirius was thinking the same thing.

"She loves you," Harry said, his face somber as he looked at Remus and Sirius. "When she saw us this morning, she was worried, afraid we'd make her choose."

"Us against you," Ron said.

"If it had come to that, she would have chosen us," Harry said.

"You think so?" Sirius challenged.

"I'm not being cocky, Sirius. I'm telling the truth. For so long, we only had each other. That does something to people. If mum had asked dad to choose between you and her, what do you think he would have done?"

Sirius opened his mouth, but no words came out.

"Lily never would have done that," Remus said quietly.

"Neither would we," Ron said. "But we're telling you this because we want you to know when it comes to you two and Hermione, she comes first for us."

"We're on her side. Always."

"Even if she's being irrational?" Sirius asked.

"Even then. You two have each other as backup; she has us," Harry said. "That's the way it's going to work and you need to be willing to accept that."

Sirius studied the boy – man – he considered his own. "Where does that leave us?" he asked.

"You're still my godfather; that won't change," Harry grinned. "But that's not going to get you out of domestic disputes."

"Sorry, mate," Ron added.

Remus got up and got a cup of coffee, his head spinning with the amount of information he had to take in so early in the day. Sipping slowly, he studied Sirius, who looked like he was digesting everything, too. Harry and Ron, however, seemed, well, happy; as if they had said what they came to say and were ready to change the subject.

"Oh, there's one more thing – my parents," Ron said.

"Ugh," Sirius groaned. "I can't do this anymore! I can't keep having the 'you-better-treat-her-well conversation' every time I run into a Weasley."

"No, not that," Ron told him. "I was just going to ask that you keep things quiet around them a little longer."

"Why?" Remus asked. "Do you think this won't last?"

"No, I just think mum has enough on her plate with dad's birthday celebration and Harry getting ready to pop the question."

"What?!" Hermione shouted, running into the kitchen. Her hair was still damp from her shower, but at least she was dressed when she threw herself onto Harry's lap, her arms going around his neck as he hugged her.

"I'm so excited!" she cried, jumping up from Harry's lap to circle the table and hug Ron. "When are you going to ask her? What does the ring look like? Oh, is it that one we saw at that place that one time?"

"It is," Harry replied.

"She's going to love it!"

Remus looked at Sirius, who was staring at Hermione with a fascinated look on his face. Reaching out, he pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her soundly, ignoring her protests as she tried to get up.

"Sirius let me go!"

"Nope. We just got the say-so from Harry and Ron, so I'm going to take advantage of it. I assume that means snogging you in front of them is fine, right boys?"

"As long as you don't go as far as Harry and Ginny did the other night," Ron said, pushing back his chair and standing up.

"Shut it," Harry said to Ron, standing up, too.

"Leaving so soon?" Sirius asked, barely paying attention as he nibbled on Hermione's ear, his pulse jumping at her sigh.

"Not soon enough, from the looks of it," Harry laughed, walking to the fireplace.

"Really. Get a room, Hermione," Ron added.

A flash of green and the kitchen was empty except for the people who live in the house.

"Well," Remus said, placing his cup in the sink. "I think we've heard from every overprotective man in Hermione's life."

"Hmm?" she said, her mind more on Sirius' hands, which had sneaked up her sweatshirt, smiling at his growl of approval when his fingers met with bare breasts.

Laughing, Remus pulled Hermione from Sirius' arms and into his. Lifting her with ease, she automatically wrapped her legs wrapped around his waist as they left the kitchen.

"Where are we going?" she whispered, her tongue tracing the outline of his ear.

"We were told to get a room," he replied. "I think the dining room will do well to start."

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 27: Chapter 27<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN - I own nothing.**

* * *

><p><strong><em>The first month<em>**

"Do you know how much I love you?" she whispered, her hands gliding down his back, easing the aches of his monthly change, the scent of the potion she brewed specifically for him every full moon clouding his brain. He mumbled something in response, he wasn't even sure it was words. She laughed softly, the ends of her hair tickling the tip of his nose as she kissed the top of his head.

"Sleep," she told him.

* * *

><p>"Why do you have to go?" he asked. He was whining. He knew that. He'd <em>never <em>admit to it, but he had enough gold for all of them. Why did she insist on leaving their home, their bed, for hours every day? It didn't make sense.

"If I didn't leave, you wouldn't be able to greet me when I returned," she smirked.

That's true. He smiled. "Have a good day."

* * *

><p>"Remus! Stop!"<p>

"Don't want to," he muttered, his mouth devouring her neck, his hands clenching her dress, drawing it further up her legs.

"They're going to notice we're gone," she said, moaning as his fingers found her.

"Mmm … you're so wet, my love," he murmured. "Do you really want me to stop?"

She pushed him back, using the space to take her dress off completely. Grabbing his shirt, she kissed him, loving the feel of his body against hers as he pressed her into the door of the Weasleys broom closet, not even caring that the handle was lodged in her back.

"Hurry," she whispered.

* * *

><p><strong><em>The second month<em>**

"I thought we agreed not to stop by unannounced."

"You agreed, Harry; I said no such thing," Ginny told him, walking through the hallway. Finding the media room and game room empty, she took the stairs to Hermione's room.

"Plus," Ron added. "We were specifically told not to be in their kitchen before 10 a.m. ever again. It's 2 in the afternoon and we're not in the kitchen."

Shaking his head, Harry followed, wincing slightly as Ginny peeked in each bedroom.

"You can open your eyes, Harry; they're not engaged in sexual debauchery."

"You haven't accidentally walked in on them; it's not restricted to bedrooms."

"Yeah," Ron said. "I refuse to celebrate a holiday here until they get a new dining room table."

* * *

><p>"How can you say that?" she yelled.<p>

"How can you?" he hollered back.

"Because studies have shown that -"

"Fuck the studies! There are some thing that can't be explained with books and logic, Hermione! Why are you so damn stubborn?"

"I'm not stubborn, I'm -"

"You're WRONG!" he roared, his blood boiling. He was always on edge just before a full moon. She knew this. Why was she pushing him? He couldn't be rational right now, especially when she was obviously wrong and refusing to back down.

She stared at him, her eyes wide. Not saying a word, she walked out of the library, not even glancing at Sirius as they passed on the stairs. He grabbed her arm.

"Don't let it bother you, love. You know how he gets this time -"

"I don't want to hear it."

* * *

><p>"Are you coming to bed?"<p>

Hermione looked up from her book. She was sitting on the floor, her back against the basement door, the wolf prowling restlessly on the other side. She shook her head.

Sirius crouched on his knees.

"You know everything will be better in the morning, right?"

She nodded. He kissed her on the forehead, lingering, then ran a hand down her hair. "Good night, Hermione."

* * *

><p><strong><em>The third month<em>**

"It doesn't make any sense. If he's writing about a bird, why doesn't he just say the word bird?"

"It's not really about a bird. The bird is a metaphor for freedom, our innate desire to fly above the troubles of the world."

"What?"

Remus shook his head, turning back to his book while Sirius and Hermione continued to argue over the poem. He had no idea why either one thought reading poems aloud would be relaxing activity. The rain perhaps? The laziness of the day? Sirius' hope that his voice would entice Hermione to take on other activities...

"Remus, would you please explain -"

"Oh, sure; complain to the professor."

He rolled his eyes and kept reading.

* * *

><p>"Hermione? Love, will you please look at us?"<p>

"I just want to be alone," she mumbled, avoiding their gaze as she stared out the window, silent tears falling down her face.

"Sweetheart … you don't have to be alone. Please, let us help you."

"I miss her so much," she whispered.

Sirius shifted nervously, worried that what seemed like a great idea two days ago would be wrong. Sighing, he placed the cupcake on the window seat.

"What's that?" she asked.

"We … we thought you might want to wish your mom a happy birthday, blow out the candle in her honor."

A fresh wave of tears fell, harder, her breath gasping with each sob.

"We're sorry," Remus said, dropping to the floor beside her. "We're sorry, we just wanted to …"

"No! It's perfect," she told them, smiling at the chocolate treat. "She would have loved you."

* * *

><p><strong><em>The fourth month<em>**

" … I believe I speak for all of us when I say 'Congratulations Ginny and Harry!' Cheers!"

Hermione lifted her champagne flute, toasting her friends' engagement, blinking back tears at the complete look of happiness on their faces. Ron was so nervous about his speech, practicing it over and over, owling her at all hours for input. She told him if he had studied this hard at Hogwarts, he would have gotten more Outstandings on his O.W.L.s.

"Happy?" Sirius asked, sliding up beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist. To the casual observer, it would look like a relaxed greeting. Only they knew what had happened in the orchard moments before.

"You still have a twig in your hair, sweetheart," Remus whispered from her other side.

"Oh, God."

* * *

><p>She stretched on the couch, as supple as a cat. He continued to run his hand up and down her feet in his lap, focused on the book in front of him. After a few minutes, she jerked her foot upward, knocking the book from his hands.<p>

"I want to play," she told him, slowly unbuttoning her shirt.

"My life is so hard," he replied.

* * *

><p><strong><em>The fifth month<em>**

She picked at the eggs on her plate, her thoughts focused on problems at work; not breakfast. She wasn't sleeping well, staying up late to translate documents thousands of years older than she. They knew she no longer liked her job, the bureaucracy of the Ministry killing her enthusiasm for research, for knowledge, but every time one of them brought up the subject of quitting, she'd yell and accuse them of sexism.

"Hey, Remus?" Sirius said, looking up from the _Daily Prophet, _winking slyly at his friend_._ "Did you hear about the break in at Hogwarts?"

"Really? What was taken?"

"A lot of confiscated student items. They finished a complete inventory and plan to announce arrests at a press conference this afternoon. People are already accusing Fred and George Weasley, given they had ties to most of the missing items."

Hermione jumped up, snatching the paper from Sirius' hands, her eyes wide and her hands shaking. "That was months ago! They had nothing to do -"

Her eyes narrowed as she skimmed the newspaper. There was nothing but sports and Ministry drabble; Hogwarts was never mentioned.

"I'd run now, Sirius Black," she said quietly.

* * *

><p>"Oh God. Oh God."<p>

"Breathe, love," he told her.

"Oh God. Oh God."

"In and out, sweetheart," he urged.

"I don't have a job. I quit. I marched in there and I quit. I didn't even give them notice!"

"It will be fine, love."

"How can you say that? How do you know?"

"I have you. How can anything be less than incredible?"

* * *

><p><strong><em>The sixth month<em>**

"This game is stupid!"

"Stop being a poor loser and give me the money."

He threw it across the board, wishing he could go back in time and stop this stupid game from every being invented. He glared at the little silver dog, sitting on Boardwalk without a care in the world.

"Can we play Twister next? I like that game."

"Are you going to make me play naked again?"

"Yes."

"OK."

* * *

><p>"How was dress shopping?"<p>

"I don't know how Ginny does it," she cried, eyes wild, her hair no longer in its sensible braid. Grabbing the glass of whiskey on the table in front of Remus she downed it in in swallow and then picked up Sirius' to do the same. "Eight stores! We went to eight stores and Mrs. Weasley still doesn't like any of the dresses! I tell you, everyone will be at this wedding naked if they don't make a decision soon!"

"That sounds like an amazing idea, sweetheart."

She winked and slid onto his lap, her fingers toying with the collar of his T-shirt. "I'm known for my amazing ideas," she murmured, licking her way down his jaw. "Want to hear all of them or should I show you?"

* * *

><p><strong><em>The seventh month<em>**

"I told you. I am NOT sleeping in a room that's painted black."

"I like black."

"I don't."

"It's my room."

"Not anymore; it's _our _room, unless you want me to stay on the second floor."

He turned to Remus for help. He just shrugged. It's been half a year. It no longer made sense for the three of them to move room-to-room.

"A compromise," she said, studying the paint samples taped the wall. "Gray."

He studied it, imagined what it would look like in candlelight, her body pressed against it, head back as he knelt before her and made her scream.

"Gray works."

* * *

><p>"Do we have to go home?"<p>

He looked at her, tan and relaxed. The last two weeks in Tahiti have been among the greatest in his life. All they did was eat, sleep, relax and make love. They watched the sunrise every morning and the sunset every night.

"The wedding is next month. Our presence is required," he said.

She grumbled, turning onto her stomach, smiling when Sirius removed the top of her bikini, fingers railing up and down her back.

"Well, maybe we can stay another day," Remus said.

* * *

><p><strong><em>The eighth month<em>**

"Are you happy?" he asked, the brilliant smile on her face the only answer he needed.

He had watched as she walked down the aisle, her eyes on Harry and Ron at the front of the ceremony, the three sharing one of their secret looks, before her eyes slid to the men on their left. Charlie couldn't believe his parents were still unaware that their Hermione was very much in love with the werewolf and animagus.

"I'd be happier if your mother would stop pushing every available Weasley and Prewitt male in my face," she laughed.

"Tell her the truth and she'll stop," he said.

"And disown me."

"You don't know that."

"I've already lost one mother. I won't lose yours, too."

* * *

><p>"But it's Halloween!"<p>

"So?"

"So? This is the greatest holiday in the world! We need to have a party!"

"Harry and Ginny just got married; that was enough partying for me for the rest of the year."

"Moony? You're on my side, right?"

"Well …"

"Remus!"

"Sweetheart, it's been a long time since we've opened the house. People are beginning to talk."

"Since when have you cared what people say?"

"When it involves you in an unflattering manner, I care."

"In other words, we party!"

* * *

><p><strong><em>The ninth month<em>**

"You're pregnant!"

"But it's so soon!"

"You _just _got married!"

"I can't believe you knocked up my sister."

She sat on the chair, watching Ginny and Harry beam with their news. Mrs. Weasley was on the couch, laughing and crying. Mr. Weasley was stunned. The twins looked like they were up to something, but they always look like they're up to something. She smiled at her friends, her heart full with the news, not noticing the two men watching her.

* * *

><p>"It's time," he said, leaning on the pool cue.<p>

The other grunted, studying the layout on the table, muttering an oath when he missed his shot. Nearly 10 months have passed since Hermione suckered him in pool and he had yet to beat her.

If she knew about the extra practice they put in when she was sleeping, she'd never let them hear the end of it.

"Sirius?"

"I know. I'm ready. I've been ready."

"But now she's ready, too," Remus said.

* * *

><p><strong><em>The tenth month<em>**

"We should have asked for help."

"Who were we going to ask? Harry? Ron? You do realize those boys turn to Hermione whenever they have a problem."

He bent over to peer at the rings a little closer. They were nice, sure. Sparkly. Big. But they weren't her.

* * *

><p>The kitchen smelled of gingerbread; the library of pine tree. The dining room table (a new table; Ron insisted) was set for dinner, presents on every seat.<p>

"Tomorrow will be wonderful," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist as she surveyed the scene, checking her list to make sure every task had a checkmark by it.

"I think that's it," she replied, turning in his arms and laying her head against his chest. He smelled like vanilla, probably from sneaking into the container of frosted cookies she specifically told him was for tomorrow.

"Are we done?" Sirius asked, bounding down the stairs. "Can we go now?"

"_We_," she grinned, "just finished."

"Great! Coats, shoes, hats, gloves! Let's go!"

"I can't believe you talked me into sledding on Christmas Eve," she told him, stuffing her hair under her hat.

* * *

><p><strong><em>The eleventh month<em>**

"I hate this tie."

"Then don't wear it."

"You told me to dress up. A tie is dressing up."

"No, I said 'Wear something nice; no jeans.' The word tie did not come up in conversation at all."

He glared at Remus, who looked very much at home in his navy blue suit with light blue collared shirt and no tie. Maybe if he had paired his gray trousers and maroon button-down shirt with a jacket, he could have gotten away without a tie, too.

"Stop fidgeting."

"Did you know I haven't worn a tie since Hogwarts?"

"That's fascinating, Padfoot. Might I suggest you lead with that?"

He glared at his friend and told himself he wasn't nervous. He wasn't. He hated dressing up; that's all. He can't breathe because if the damn tie. His palms are sweaty because of the damn tie. He feels like he's going to faint because of the damn tie.

"Hey, isn't that the one we used to tie her to the bed?"

He loved this tie.

* * *

><p>"Remus! Sirius! Come in, come in!"<p>

"Thank you," Remus said, ducking his tall frame under the doorway. Sirius followed, not trusting himself to speak.

"Molly! They're here!"

There was a crash from the kitchen and Molly came running out, her cheeks flushed. "I'm sorry," she said. "Ginny has the worst case of morning sickness and none of the potions are working, so I'm trying a muggle recipe Hermione gave me."

Neither Weasley noticed how the wizards flinched at Hermione's name. Gesturing to the living room, Molly and Arthur sat in their armchairs, facing the two wizards who sat, rather stiffly, on the couch.

"So, why did you need to see us today? Is everything all right with Hermione? With you?"

"We're fine, Arthur, fine," Remus said. "Um, well, first, thank you for taking the time to meet with us. I know you are busy with work and Molly, you have you hands full with the new baby on the way and Ron's engagement."

"If it's not one thing, it's another with this family," she grinned.

"Right and we will always be grateful that you've made us part of your family," Remus told her, blushing at the tears in her eyes. He looked at Sirius, his eyes wide.

_Your turn._

"Um, we've been thinking about family a lot lately; watching Harry marry Ginny and get ready for fatherhood. It does something to a man," Sirius said.

"That is does," Arthur agreed.

"A lot has happened this past year …" Remus said.

The Weasleys nodded.

"And one of the bigger things, well, it's been kept a secret from you."

"What do you mean?" Molly asked.

"We're in love with Hermione!"

Arthur and Molly stared at Sirius, who looked aghast at his outburst. They had a plan. They had a speech. They had spent weeks working on their speech. Why did he yell that? What possessed him to impart such delicate information in such a crazy manner? Arthur had an anxious look on his face and Molly … well, it was hard to read Molly. Everyone could hear the sound of the clock ticking as the three men waited for her to react.

"So," she said. "You've finally decided to 'fess up, have you?"

"What?" Remus asked.

"Oh, please," she said. "I've known about the three of you since before there was a three of you. Anyone could see it!"

"What?" Sirius said.

"Frankly, I'm surprised it took as long for you to get together as it did. I thought once Harry left, the deed would be done within a week, but I was wrong. It took nearly six months, am I right? Of course, poor Hermione was still so sad and you both had your own demons to deal with, but I think everyone has improved, wouldn't you say so, Arthur?"

"Uh, yes. Yes, I would."

She nodded, satisfied with his response. "I assume you gave them the talk?"

"Oh, yes. Months and months ago."

"Good," she sat back and looked at the men who were slack jawed at the turn of events. Both had prepared arguments to sway Molly to their side, never imagining the matriarch would be thrilled with their announcement. "So, why are you here today, gentlemen?"

Remus looked at Sirius, who nodded.

"We want your blessing," Remus said.

"Our blessing?"

Sirius took out a velvet box and sat it on the coffee table. "We're going to ask Hermione to marry us."

Molly burst out crying. Arthur wrapped an arm around her,

"There, there, love," he murmured. "This is what you wanted, remember?"

"I know, I know," she said, sniffling. "I'm just so happy!"

Remus and Sirius sat, uncomfortably, and waited for Molly to calm down, only to set off another set of tears when they showed her the ring. When they left the Borrow an hour later, they were spent – emotionally and physically.

"Well," Sirius said, throwing an arm around his friend, "now all that's left to do is ask the girl."

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 28: Chapter 28<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN - I own nothing.**

* * *

><p>They tried planning. They tried plotting. They got rip-roaring drunk.<p>

Nothing worked.

"Let's just ask after dinner," Sirius said, staring at the ceiling. He was lying on the floor of library; the only room they felt safe discussing engagement plans as both would hear Hermione coming upstairs long before she'd overhear them.

"That's not romantic."

"Oh, and we've been extremely romantic in this relationship so far," he replied. "Let's see, the first time she kissed us was because I made her break into Hogwarts. The second time she kissed us was a challenge. My first time with her was on a chair. Yours was on the second floor landing. We -"

"Point made, Padfoot."

"Thank you."

"Maybe that's why romance should play a role in this."

Sirius sighed. It wasn't that he had a problem with romance. He could be romantic, but it was a spur of the moment gestures – like the time he dragged Hermione outside to dance in the rain or when he replaces her bookmarks with flowers. But planning a romantic moment? If the last month was any indication, it couldn't be done.

Remus slouched further in his chair, steepling his hands and staring at them, as if the answer was there of he concentrated hard enough. They loved her. She loved them. Why was this so damn hard?

"Hello!?"

"Remus? Sirius?"

The men looked at each other.

"Were you expecting Fred and George?" Sirius asked.

Remus shook his head. "We're in the library," he shouted.

A moment later, the twins were there, smiles on their faces.

"Whatever you're up to, the answer is no," Sirius said, still lying on the ground.

"We're not up to anything, mate. We're here to ask you, and Hermione, to come out with us tonight."

"Why?" Remus asked.

"Because it's the dead of winter and we feel like drinking," George said.

"If you remember correctly, it was about a year ago we all met up at The Leaky Cauldron and had a fun evening," Fred added, a comment that made Remus perk up a little.

"If our math is correct –"

"And it probably isn't because we hate math -"

"Your whole campaign to get Hermione back started that night -"

"And look where you are now."

"You're welcome," they both said.

Remus stood up, holding out his hand to help Sirius up, too. "If we go, you agree to help us with something - and there can be _no_ deviation from the plan. Agreed?"

Their eyes sparkled in anticipation. "Agreed."

"What are you planning, Moony?"

"I'll tell you later. Fred, George, Hermione will be home in a minute. Wait for her in the kitchen, ask her to come out tonight; she'll say no, but we'll talk her into it. We'll be down in the few minutes."

They took off.

"You have a spark in your eye. I love that spark. It means good things are going to happen. What's the plan?"

Remus smiled slowly. "Remember how Hermione set us up?"

"I'm trying to forget. Thanks for that."

"Well, we're going to do the same for her. Different game, though."

Sirius smiled. "Go on."

* * *

><p>She walked through the fireplace, her tote stuffed with books. The decision to leave her job at the Ministry wasn't easy, but her choice to go back to school, of sorts, to learn how to be a healer made perfect sense. She loved it. She loved the training, the learning, the teaching. She loved seeing that her work made a difference right away, rather than a report that sat in another wizard's in box for months unread.<p>

Humming, she heaved her heavy bag on a chair and walked to the stove to put on the kettle, letting out a shriek when she turned around to see Fred and George at the kitchen table.

"I'd take that as an insult if I wasn't secure in your love for me," Fred told her.

"When did you get here? Why are you here?"

"A few minutes ago and we're taking you out tonight!" George replied.

"What?"

"Yes, you, me, George and the two old guys upstairs you were foolish to choose over us – we're going to hit the town."

Hermione laughed. "I don't think so. I need to study."

"Whoa! Hogwarts flashback." George shuddered.

"Ha ha," she told him, getting up to fetch the tea, taking down cups for Fred and George, too.

"Come on, Hermione," Fred whined. "We never see you anymore."

"Don't you love us?"

"My affections for you are no less today than they were yesterday," she replied.

"Um, thank you?" George replied, a confused look on his face.

Laughing, she brought the tea to the table, propping her feet on the empty chair. "Catch me up on everything in your lives, starting with Ginny."

Rolling his eyes, Fred launched into the latest round of pregnancy news, stopping only when Remus and Sirius entered the kitchen, both leaning down to kiss Hermione hello.

"Is that what you're wearing?" Remus asked.

Hermione looked down at her khaki pants and navy blue button-down shirt she wore under her robes. "For what?"

"For tonight. We're going out!" Sirius said, stealing her cup and finishing her tea.

"You agreed? But it's so cold out -"

"Don't care," he told her, helping her out of her seat. "Go! We're leaving in 30 minutes."

"This feels vaguely familiar," she grumbled, but left the kitchen.

Remus held up a finger, waiting for the telltale click of their bedroom door on the third floor.

"Here's the plan."

* * *

><p>"That did not happen!" Hermione cried, laughing so hard, tears streamed down her face as she disputed Fred's telling of their Yule Ball dance lessons. Tipping her glass, she finished her wine, debating whether or not she should have another. It was the end of the week, after all. She didn't have to work tomorrow. She was so focused on her internal debate, she didn't notice the nod Remus gave George.<p>

"Oi! Who's up for a game?"

"What kind of game?" Remus asked suspiciously.

"We learned this from Wood, who learned it from a friend in the states. It's called 'I never.'"

"How it works," Fred explained, "is we all have shots and one person says something they've never done. If you haven't done whatever they said, you don't drink, but if you _have_ done it, you drink."

"Seems easy enough," Sirius said.

"I'll start," Fred said, once the shots of firewhiskey have been poured. "I've never told a person, outside of my family, I loved them."

Hermione drank. So did Sirius and Remus.

George: "I've never woken up thanking my lucky stars for the person lying next to me."

Hermione drank. So did Sirius and Remus.

Remus cleared his throat. "I've never considered asking someone to marry me."

Hermione watched, eyes wide, as Remus and Sirius drank.

Sirius grinned. "I've never spent a month waiting for the perfect moment to ask the question."

Remus and Sirius drank again.

Fred jumped in. "I never bought an engagement ring."

Remus and Sirius picked up their glasses again. Hermione's mouth dropped open.

"I never -" George began.

"Stop!" Hermione cried. "If this is your idea of a game, it's not funny and I want to go home."

She moved to get out of her chair but couldn't because two wizards had dropped to one knee on either side of her.

"It's not a game, love," Sirius said.

"We've been trying to come up with a way to ask you this question for weeks, but when it comes to plans, well, that's your job," Remus said.

"So instead you turn to alcohol?" she joked, her heart pounding as she slowly realized no one was laughing. Was this real? Were they proposing?

"Liquid courage, love," Sirius replied, reaching into his pocket, taking out a small box.

"Marry us, sweetheart," Remus said softly.

"Please," Sirius added.

Hermione barely heard him as she stared at the ring. It was a silver band with one perfect pearl surrounded by black sapphires.

"Moony and Padfoot," she whispered, smiling at the ring. She looked at each man carefully. "You aren't kidding?"

They shook their heads.

"You're not drunk?"

They shook their heads again.

"We can vouch for them," Fred said. "You're the only one drinking the real stuff tonight."

"Am I dreaming?" she asked, her voice thick with emotion.

"If you are, then I've been dreaming for the past year," Remus told her, leaning forward to kiss her lightly on her shoulder. "Don't make me wake up, sweetheart. I want to dream all my dreams with you."

"This is the ultimate challenge, love," Sirius smirked though his eyes showed a hint of worry.

Laughing, Hermione threw an arm around both wizards, hugging and kissing them as she said "Yes" over and over.

Fred and George set off a handful of Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-bangs to celebrate.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 29: Chapter 29 THE LAST CHAPTER<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN - I own nothing.**

* * *

><p>She was quiet, her movements slow, cautious. She was wearing red heeled sandals that matched the cherries printed on her light brown sundress, but both men knew they weren't the reason for her careful steps. She was nervous. More than six months had passed since she burst into Grimmauld Place, crying that there was no way she'd ever survive wedding planning with Molly Weasley. After two hours of hyperventilating and tears, the trio came to a decision.<p>

No wedding.

Instead, they packed their bags, sent owls to their friends and loved ones, and left to travel the world, beginning with a safari in South Africa. They went rock climbing in Croatia, explored the museums of Italy, hiked the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia, and searched the temples of Japan. They spent a month in the states. Sirius fell in love with Las Vegas, Remus with Boston, and Hermione with New York City. In May, on a private beach in Belize, they performed a bonding ceremony, saying the ancient spell that tied the three of them together.

Always.

Gripping her husbands' hands, Hermione wouldn't change anything. She didn't need the pageantry or the crowds that surrounded what she considered the most personal of ceremonies. She never wanted that, but as months went by without communication with Molly Weasley, she worried her actions caused a rift with her surrogate mother that couldn't be forgiven.

"Sweetheart, I promise it will be OK," Remus murmured, lifting her hand to his mouth, nibbling in her knuckles. She smiled at the gold band on his hand, the engraving a series of interlocking H's and R's. Sirius opted for hammered platinum for his ring, Hermione's name a cursive script inside the band, while two thin bands of white gold were added to either side of her engagement ring.

Sirius squeezed her other hand, his own nerves preventing him from comforting her further. Harry's son, James, arrived a few weeks ago. This afternoon's lunch at the Burrow would be the first time they would meet James, the first time they'd see everyone after months of travels.

She nodded, her breath hitching slightly as the Burrow came into view.

"HERMIONE!"

Two figures came running out of the front door. Dropping her husbands' hands, Hermione took off running into the arms of Harry and Ron, the momentum of their greeting and her less than graceful sprinting in heels causing all three to tumble to the ground in laughter.

"She really would have chosen them over us, wouldn't she?" Remus asked, smiling at the three adults who suddenly looked like the awkward 13-year-olds he met on the train so many years ago.

"Let's make sure we never give her a reason," Sirius replied, grinning as Harry helped Hermione to her feet, dragging her into the house.

* * *

><p>"He's beautiful," Hermione breathed, staring at the tiny bundle in Ginny's arms. Like his father and his namesake, James had a headful of dark hair, already unruly as he shifted in his mother's arms, opening his eyes briefly before falling back asleep.<p>

"Do you want to hold him?"

Hermione nodded, sitting on Ginny's bed, swallowing the tears that threatened to fall the moment her best friends' son was placed in her arms. Noticing Ginny's struggle not to cry, too, both women smiled shakily.

"I missed you," Ginny said, sitting my Hermione, leaning her against her arm. Hermione rested her head on Ginny's.

"I missed you, too. I'm sorry I wasn't here …"

Ginny dismissed it with a wave of her arm. "I understand. We all do. Public displays were never your thing, or Remus'."

"But not Sirius," Hermione laughed softly, running a finger down James' cheek.

"No," Ginny agreed. "No one could ever accuse him of avoiding the spotlight."

Hermione looked at her friend. "But it was what we wanted; what we needed."

Ginny smiled. "Then that's all that matters."

* * *

><p>Sirius bounced his legs, a nervous habit Hermione liked to tease him about. Harry had just left the room to go get James. Remus was talking to Arthur. He had no one to distract him from the enormity of the moment. He shouldn't be the one sitting here, waiting for his godson to show off his first born child. James should be here. And Lily. He looked down, the tears he had swallowed since he first learned of Harry's boy threatening to fall.<p>

"Hey," Hermione sat next to him, her leg pressed against his. She took his hand, squeezing as she leaned over to kiss his cheek. "You're going to be OK."

He nodded, standing at the sound of footsteps on the stairs, pulling Hermione with him. Wrapping an arm around his waist, she watched as Harry carried James to him, smiling.

"I want you to meet James Sirius Potter."

Hands shaking, Sirius took the bundle from Harry, two tears falling as he stared at the boy who looks so much as Harry did when he was born. Nodding to Harry, Hermione had him take her spot next to Sirius, going over to stand with Remus, who watched the whole thing with a wistful smile on his face.

"Are you going to say hello?" she asked.

He kissed her forehead. "In a minute," he told her. "Sirius needs this right now."

Watching the two men sit on the couch, both with awed expressions as the baby in the older wizard's arms let out a squeak, Hermione felt something tug at her. Harry finally had his family. He had wanted one so long and while he formed his own, first with her and Ron, then the Weasleys, then Sirius, this was the moment he wanted, the reason the three of them fought so hard, sacrificed so much.

_This is peace_.

* * *

><p>"Mrs. Weasley?" Hermione peeked in the kitchen, her heart pounding as she looked for the familiar figure. The room was empty, a temporary reprieve. Walking all the way in, she stood by the table, gripping her hands. The back door opened and Molly walked in, a bouquet of flowers in her arms.<p>

"Hermione!" she cried, dropping the flowers so she could hug the girl tightly. "When did you get here?"

"About an hour ago," she said, returning the hug.

"Sit, my girl, sit!" she cried, pushing Hermione to a chair. "Tell me everything before the boys come in here demanding food."

"That doesn't give us much time," Hermione laughed.

Watching as Molly charmed the flowers into several vases, she told stories about their adventures, trying to remember what she shared in the owls she sent to the Borrow and what she didn't.

"Tell me about the ceremony, Hermione," Molly requested.

Hermione looked down at the table. "It was lovely; exactly what I wanted."

Molly nodded.

"I … I'm sorry I left without saying anything. I was so worried I'd hurt your feelings, I hurt your feelings anyway."

Molly reached across the table and took Hermione's hand. "Now, you stop that. That's what you wanted and if there's ever a day a woman should get what she wants, it's the day she gets married. I'm sorry I didn't realize that before."

Hermione smiled. "I wish you could have been there."

Molly nodded. "Me, too."

"How bad do you want that, sweetheart?"

Hermione turned around to see Remus in the doorway, a smile on his face.

"Want what?"

"Well … everyone we care about is here. There's a great big yard all set up for lunch. How hard would it be to have a quick ceremony before we eat?"

Molly jumped up, her eyes alight with excitement. "Remus Lupin, you are the smartest man I know!"

Hermione stood slowly. "Are you sure?"

"Why else would your wedding dress be in Ginny's bedroom?" he asked.

* * *

><p>"You look beautiful," Ginny told her.<p>

The strapless white dress was held up by a crisscross bodice which showed off Hermione's figure, the draping chiffon flowing around her legs. Twisting her hair into a loose knot, pinning it with the pearl hair clips Sirius bought her in Beijing, several curls brushing against her bare shoulders. She didn't wear shoes to their beach ceremony, a practice she was willing to continue as they repeated the spell in the Weasleys' backyard. Carrying the pink lily Harry gave her, she nodded for Ginny to open the door.

"What do you think, Dad?" the redhead asked.

Arthur swallowed, still not over the fact that Hermione requested he walk her down the aisle. Seeing the young woman before him, all the emotions he felt on Ginny's wedding day came back. Holding out an arm, he kissed her cheek. "You are a vision, my girl."

* * *

><p>Sirius didn't know why he was nervous. He had done this before. The ceremony they performed on the beach was ancient magic, purer than any that came after it, unbreakable in the strongest sense of the word. Only people who mean every word can complete the ceremony successfully. He meant it then and he means it now. Nothing will ever change his feelings for Hermione Granger-Lupin-Black.<p>

He looked at Remus, who was staring intently at the back door. "You all right there, Moony?"

Not even looking at Sirius, he smiled as he caught sight of Hermione, holding tight to Arthur's arm as she walked down the pathway Molly had quickly strewn with flower petals. "Never better, Padfoot."

Hermione expected to be nervous. She was essentially doing what made her run away before, but as she walked through the grass – grinning at Ron and Harry, nodding at professors McGonagall and Slughorn, laughing at Fred and George who whispered "There's still time; run!" – she couldn't remember why this had scared her. Looking at the two men standing by Kingsley Shacklebolt, one on other side, she smiled slowly, trying to convey everything she felt in that moment – happiness, peace, hope – in the curving of her lips. Watching Sirius let out the breath she knew he didn't realize he was holding, Remus' eyes never wavering as he watched her progression, she knew they understood.

* * *

><p>"So, what's next, mate?"<p>

Remus accepted the glass of firewhiskey from Fred, a questioning look on his face. "What do you mean?"

"You got the girl –" George started.

"You saw the world –" Fred continued.

"And you completed every crazy challenge the three of you could come up with."

"So, I ask again, what's next?"

Remus watched Hermione, who was holding James, swaying back and forth slowly as she talked to Ron and Luna Lovegood.

"I have an idea," he murmured.

* * *

><p>"Are you happy to be home, love?"<p>

She murmured something Sirius took as a yes, her body slumped on his, her face buried in his neck. Remus was lying next to them, his own breathing choppy as they all came down from the heights they brought each other to moments before. Running a hand down Hermione's back, grinning at the catch in her breath, he listened to his own heartbeat slow.

"What are we doing tomorrow?" Remus asked, scooting over so Hermione could lie between them.

She sighed. "I should probably look into beginning my studies again. Madame Pomfrey said I could take an exam, see if it's possible to pick up where I was when we left."

"You don't sound terribly excited," Sirius replied, rolling to his side to look at her.

She shrugged. "I don't know if I want to dive back into it. We've been gone so long. I want to spend time with Harry and Ron, Ginny, the baby …"

"There's nothing wrong with that, sweetheart," Remus told her. "I think we all want that."

She nodded, not looking at either of them as she stared at the ceiling, nibbling on her lower lip. "James is beautiful, isn't he?"

"Quite possible the best-looking baby in the world," Sirius agreed.

Hermione nodded.

"I can't imagine anyone having a cuter baby," Remus said. "Except for us."

Hermione sat up, turning to face both men who were watching her with smiles on their faces.

"Really?" she asked. "We're going to make a baby?"

"Well," Sirius said. "There's two of us, so eventually we're going to have to make more than one, but one will do to start."

Hermione threw herself at him, kissing him enthusiastically before doing the same to Remus. Lying back down, she stared dreamily at the ceiling, trying to picture what their children would look like when she giggled.

"What?" Remus asked.

"Nothing," she replied, chuckling softly. A minute later, she started laughing again.

"What?!" Sirius yelled.

"I just remembered how there were three things we never said we'd do: go to a nightclub, fly on a broom and take knitting lessons."

"Right …" her husbands replied.

"Well, Remus, you went to a night club that night I went out with Harry and everyone –"

He leaned over and kissed her shoulder. "Only for you, sweetheart."

"Sirius, you got me to fly over the Grand Canyon -"

"The line for the tour was too long," he told her.

She smirked. "How much do you want to bet I have the two of you knitting a baby blanket by Christmas?"


End file.
